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RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA: 


AN  AUTOBIOGMPni  POR  BOYS. 


BY 


CAPTAIN  MAYNE   REID, 

AUTHOlt   OF   "tHK   PESEKT   HOME,"    "  BOY  HUNTERS,'' 
ETC.,   ETC. 


"  'T  is  pleiisant  by  tlie  rhnerful  hearth  to  hear 
Of  tempests  ami  the  (Jaiijj;ers  of  the  deep, 
And  pause  at  limes  and  feel  that  we  are  safe ; 
Then  Usten  to  the  perilous  tale  again. 
And  wifh  an  ea^er  and  suspended  soul 
\V'oo  terrur  to  deliirht  us."  —  SoUTUKy. 


E  O  S  T  O  N: 
JAMES    R.   OSGOOD   AND   COMPANY, 

Late  Ticknor  &  Fillds,  and  Fields,  OicooD,  &  Co. 
187  I. 


New  York,  January  1st,  1869. 
Messrs.  Fields,  Osgood,  &  Co. :  — 

I  accept  the  terms  offered,  and  hereby  concede  to  you  the  exclusive  right  of 
publication,  in  the  United  States,  of  all  my  juvenile  Tales  of  Adventure,  known 
as  Boys'  Novels. 

MAYNE    REID. 


University  Press:  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co., 
Cambridge. 


LIBRARY 
KNIYERSITY  OF  CALIFOU.NK 


5^^//  ^AiNTA  iiAKBAHA 


RAN    AWAY    TO   SEA. 


CHAPTER   I. 


I  WAS  just  sixteen  when  I  ran  away  to  sea. 

I  did  not  do  so  because  I  had  been  treated  unkindly 
at  home.  On  the  contrary,  I  left  beliind  me  a  fond  and 
indulgent  father,  a  kind  and  gentle  mother,  sisters  and 
brothers  who  loved  me,  and  Avho  lamented  for  me  long 
after  I  was  gone. 

But  no  one  had  more  cause  to  regret  this  act  of  filial 
disobedience  than  I  myself.  I  soon  repented  of  what  I 
had  done,  and  often,  in  after  life,  did  it  give  me  pain, 
when  I  reflected  upon  the  pain  wliich  I  had  caused  to 
my  kindred  and  fi'iends. 

From  my  earliest  years  I  had  a  longing  for  the  sea, 
—  perhaps  not  so  much  to  be  a  sailor,  as  to  travel  over 
the  great  ocean,  and  behold  its  wonders.  This  longing 
seemed  to  be  part  of  my  nature,  for  my  parents  gave 
no  encouragement  to  such  a  disposition.  On  the  con- 
trary, they  did  all  in  their  power  to  beget  witliin  me  a 
dislike  for  a  sea  life,  as  my  father  had  designed  for  me  a 
far  different  profession.     But  the  counsels  of  my  fatlicr 


4  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

and  the  entreaties  6f  my  mother  all  proved  unavailing. 
Indeed,  —  and  I  feel  shame  in  acknowledging  it,  — • 
they  produced  an  effect  directly  opposite  to  that  which 
was  intended  ;  and,  instead  of  lessening  my  inclination 
to  wander  abroad,  they  only  rendei'ed  me  more  eager  to 
carry  out  that  design !  It  is  often  so  with  obstinate  na- 
tures, and  I  fear  that,  when  a  boy,  mine  was  too  much 
of  this  character.  Most  to  desire  that  which  is  most 
forbidden,  is  a  common  failing  of  mankind ;  and  in  doing 
this  I  was  perhaps  not  so  unlike  others. 

Certain  it  is,  that  the  thing  which  my  parents  least 
desired  me  to  feel  an  interest  in  —  the  great  salt  sea  — 
was  the  very  object  upon  Avhich  my  mind  constantly 
dwelt,  the  object  of  all  my  longings  and  aspirations. 

I  cannot  tell  what  first  imbued  me  with  a  liking  for 
the  sea,  for  I  had  such  a  liking  almost  from  the  years 
of  childhood.  I  was  born  upon  the  sea-shore,  and  this 
fact  might  explain  it ;  for,  during  my  early  life,  when  I 
was  still  but  a  mere  child,  I  used  to  sit  at  the  window 
and  look  with  admiring  eyes  on  the  boats  with  their 
white  sails,  and  the  beautiful  ships  with  their  tall,  taper- 
ing masts,  that  were  constantly  passing  and  rejiassing. 
How  could  I  do  otherAvise  than  admire  these  grand 
and  glorious  structures,  —  so  strong  and  so  graceful  ? 
How  could  it  be  otherwise  than  that  I  should  imbibe  a 
longing  to  be  on  board  of  them,  and  be  carried  afar 
over  yonder  bright  blue  water  ? 

As  I  grew  older,  certain  books  had  chanced  to  fall 
into  my  hands,  and  these  related  to  the  sea  ;  —  they  told 
of  lovely  lands  that  lay  upon  its  shores,  —  of  strange 
races  of  men  and  animals, — of  singular   plants  and 


RAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  O 

trees,  —  of  palms  and  broad-leaved  figs,  —  of  the  ban- 
yan and  baobab,  —  of  many  things  beautiful  and  won- 
derful. These  books  sti-engtliened  the  inclination  I 
ah-eady  felt  to  wander  abroad  over  the  ocean. 

Another  circumstance  aided  in  bringing  about  the  cli- 
max. I  had  an  uncle  who  had  been  an  old  skipper, — 
tliat  is,  the  master  of  a  merchant-ship,  —  and  it  was  the 
delight  of  tlus  old  gentleman  to  assemble  his  nephews 
around  him  —  there  was  a  goodly  number  of  us  —  and 
tell  us  tales  of  the  sea,  to  which  all  were  ever  eager  to 
listen.  Many  a  budget  did  he  deliver  by  the  winter  fire- 
side ;  for,  like  the  story-teller  of  the  "  Arabian  Nights," 
a  thousand  and  one  tales  could  he  tell,  —  stories  of  des- 
perate adventures  by  flood  and  field,  —  of  storms,  liui'ri- 
canes,  and  shipwrecks,  —  long  voyages  in  open  boats,  — 
encounters  Avith  pirates  and  Indians,  —  battles  with 
sharks,  and  seals,  and  whales  bigger  than  houses, — 
teri'ible  conflicts  with  wild  beasts,  —  as  bears,  wolves, 
lions,  and  tigers !  All  these  adventures  had  our  old 
uncle  encountered,  or  said  he  had,  which  to  his  admix'- 
ing  audience  was  pretty  much  the  same  thing. 

After  listening  to  such  thrilling  narrations,  no  wonder 
I  became  tired  of  home,  no  wonder  my  natural  inclina- 
tion grew  into  a  passion  I  could  no  longer  resist.  JSo 
wonder  Ij-cui  aioay  to  sea. 

And  I  did  so  at  the  age  of  sixteen ;  the  wonder  is  I 
did  not  go  sooner,  but  it  was  no  fault  of  mine  that  I 
did  not ;  for  from  the  time  I  was  able  to  talk  I  had  been 
constantly  importuning  my  parents  for  leave  to  go.  I 
knew  they  could  easily  have  found  a  situation  for  me, 
had  they  been  so  minded.  They  could  have  bound  me 
1* 


6  KAN   AWAY   TO    SKA. 

I 

as  an  apprentice  on  board  some  of  the  great  merchant- 
vessels  sailing  for  India,  or  they  could  have  entered  me 
in  the  Royal  Navy  as  a  midshipman,  for  they  were  not 
without  high  interest ;  but  neither  father  nor  mother 
would  lend  an  ear  to  my  entreaties. 

At  length,  convinced  they  would  never  consent,  I  re- 
solved upon  running  away ;  and,  from  the  age  of  four- 
teen, had  repeatedly  offered  myself  on  board  the  ships 
that  traded  to  the  neighboring  seaport,  but  I  was  too 
small  a  boy,  and  none  of  them  would  take  me.  Some 
of  the  captains  refused  because  they  knew  I  had  not 
the  consent  of  my  parents ;  and  these  were  the  very 
kind  with  whom  I  should  have  preferred  going ;  since 
the  fact  of  their  being  such  conscientious  men  would 
have  insured  me  good  treatment.  But  as  these  refused 
to  take  me,  I  had  no  other  resource  but  to  try  elsewhere, 
and  I  at  length  succeeded  in  striking  a  bargain  with  a 
skipper  who  had  no  scruples  about  the  matter,  and  I 
was  booked  as  an  apprentice.  He  knew  I  was  about 
to  run  away ;  and,  more  than  this,  assisted  in  the  design 
by  letting  me  know  the  exact  day  and  hour  he  was  to 
take  his  dejjarture  from  the  port. 

And  I  Avas  aboard  at  the  time  specified ;  and  before 
any  search  could  have  been  made  for  me,  or  even  be- 
fore I  could  have  been  missed,  the  vessel  had  tripped 
her  anchor,  spread  her  sails,  and  carried  me  off  beyond 
the  possibility  of  pursuit. 


RAN  AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER   II. 


I  "WAS  not  twelve  hours  on  board  —  twelve  minutes 
I  might  almost  say  —  before  I  was  completely  cm*ed  of 
my  sea  fever ;  and  I  would  have  parted  with  the  best 
tooth  in  my  head  to  have  set  my  legs  once  more  on 
land  again.  Almost  on  embarking  I  was  overhauled 
by  sea-sickness,  and  in  another  hour  it  became  so  bad 
that  I  thought  it  would  have  turned  me  inside  out. 

Sea-sickness  is  a  malady  not  pleasant  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, —  even  to  a  first-cabin  passenger,  with  a 
steward  to  wait  upon  him,  and  administer  soothing  pre- 
scriptions and  consoling  sympathy.  How  much  more 
painful  to  a  poor,  friendless  boy  treated  as  I  was,  — 
sworn  at  by  the  surly  captain,  cursed  and  cuffed  by  the 
brutal  mate,  jeered  and  laughed  at  by  the  ruffian  crew. 
O,  it  was  horrid ;  and  had  the  ship  been  sinking  un- 
der me  at  that  moment  I  verily  believe  I  should  not 
have  made  the  slightest  effort  to  save  myself! 

Forty-eight  hours,  however,  gave  me  relief  from  the 
nauseous  ailing,  for  this,  like  many  other  diseases,  is 
often  short-lived  where  it  is  most  violent.  In  about 
two  days  I  was  able  to  stand  up  and  move  about  the 
decks,  and  I  was  made  to  move  about  them  with  a  ven- 
geance. 


8  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

I  have  above  cliaracterized  the  captain  as  "  surly,"  the 
mate  "  brutal,"  and  the  crew  a  set  of  "  ruffians  "  :  I  have 
spoken  without  exaggeration.  With  an  exception  or 
two,  a  more  villanous  gang  I  never  encountered,  —  of 
course  not  before  that  time,  for  that  was  not  likely ; 
but  never  since  either,  and  it  has  several  times  been 
the  fortune  of  my  life  to  mix  in  very  questionable  and 
miscellaneous  company. 

The  captain  was  not  only  surly,  but  positively  fero- 
cious M'hen  drunk  or  angry,  and  one  or  both  he  gener- 
ally was.  It  was  dangerous  to  go  near  him,  —  at  least 
for  me,  or  any  one  that  was  Aveak  and  helpless,  —  for  it 
was  chiefly  upon  the  imresisting  that  he  vented  his  ill- 
humor. 

I  was  not  long  on  board  before  I  incurred  his  dis- 
pleasure by  some  mistake  I  could  not  possibly  help.  I 
had  a  taste  of  his  temper  then,  and  many  a  one  after- 
wards ;  for  his  spite  once  kindled  against  any  one  was 
implacable  as  the  hate  of  a  Corsican,  and  never  became 
allayed. 

He  was  a  short,  stout,  "  bluffy  "  man,  with  features 
perfectly  regular,  but  with  fat,  round  cheeks,  bullet 
eyes,  and  nose  slightly  upturned,  —  a  face  which  is  often 
employed  in  pictures  to  typify  good-nature,  jollity,  and 
an  honest  heart ;  but  with  little  propriety  is  it  so  em- 
ployed in  my  opinion,  since  under  just  such  smiling 
faces  have  I,  during,  a  long  life's  experience,  encoim- 
tered  the  greatest  amount  of  dishonesty  combined  with 
dispositions  most  cruel  and  brutal.  Such  a  man  was 
the  skipper  into  whose  tender  care  I  had  so  recklessly 
thrown  mj'self. 


RAX    AAV  AT   TO    SEA.  9 

The  mate  was  an  echo  of  his  captain,  "Wlien  the 
one  said  "  no,"  the  other  said  "  no,"  and  when  either  said 
"  jes,"  the  other  affirmed  it.  The  pnncii)al  difference 
between  them  was  that  the  mate  did  not  drink,  and 
perhaps  this  lengthened,  if  it  did  not  strengthen,  the 
bond  of  friendship  that  existed  between  them.  Had 
both  been  drinkers,  they  must  have  quari-elled  at  times ; 
but  the  mate  never  "  tasted,"  as  he  affirmed,  and  when 
his  superior  was  in  his  cups  this  enabled  him  to  bear 
the  abuse  which  not  unfrequently  the  captain  treated 
him  to.  In  all  matters  of  discipline,  or  of  anything  else, 
he  was  with  the  captain  ;  for  though  brutal,  he  was  but 
a  coAvardly  fellow,  and  ever  ready  to  fa^vn  upon  his 
master,  —  "  boot-lick  "  him  as  the  sailors  termed  it. 

There  was  a  second  mate,  but  this  was  a  very  sec- 
ondary kind  of  a  character,  not  worth  description,  and 
scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  the  common  "  hands," 
over  whom  he  exercised  only  a  very  limited  control. 

Thei'e  was  a  cai'penter,  an  old  man  with  a  large, 
swollen,  rum-reddened  nose,  another  crony  of  the  cap- 
tain's ;  and  a  huge  and  very  ugly  negro,  who  was  both 
cook  and  steward,  and  who  was  vile  enough  to  have 
held  office  in  the  kitchen  of  Pluto.  These  were  the 
officers  of  the  ship,  and  for  the  men,  they  were,  as  al- 
ready stated,  as  villanous  a  crew  as  I  ever  encountered. 
There  Avere  exceptions,  —  only  one  or  two  ;  but  it  was 
some  time  before  I  discovered  them. 

In  such  companionsliip  then  did  I  find  myself,  —  I 
just  fresh  from  the  tender  protection  of  parents,  —  from 
the  company  of  kind  friends  and  associates.  O,  I  was 
well  cured  of  the  sea  fever,  and  would  have  given  half 


10  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

iny  life  to  be  on  land  again  !  How  I  reproached  my- 
self for  my  folly  !  How  I  reproached  that  friend  of 
the  family  —  the  old  salt  —  whose  visionary  adventures 
had  no  doubt  been  the  cause  of  my  sea  longings  !  how 
in  my  heart  I  now  execrated  both  him  and  his  fanciful 
stories  !  Would  I  had  never  heard  them  !  would  that 
I  had  never  run  away  to  sea  ! 

Repentance  had  arrived  too  late  to  be  of  any  use.  I 
could  no  longer  return,  —  I  must  go  on,  and  how  long  ?  *' 
merciful  Heaven,  the  prospect  was  horrible !  Months 
of  my  painful  life  Avere  to  be  endured.  Months  !  nay  ■ 
years,  —  for  I  now  remembered  that  the  wretch  of  a 
captain  had  caused  me  to  sign  some  agreement,  —  I 
had  not  even  read  it,  but  I  knew  it  was  an  article  of 
indenture  ;  and  I  was  told  afterwards  that  it  bound  me 
for  years,  —  for  five  long  "years,  —  bound  me  not  an  ap- 
prentice, but  in  reality  a  slave.  A  slave  for  five  years 
to  this  hideous  brute,  who  might  scold  me  at  will,  cuff 
me  at  will,  kick  me  at  will,  have  me  flogged  or  put  in 
irons  whenever  the  fancy  crossed  his  mind. 

There  was  no  retreating  from  these  hard  conditions. 
Filled  with  bright  visions  of  "  life  on  the  ocean  wave," 
I  had  subscribed  to  them  without  pause  or  thought. 
My  name  was  down,  and  I  was  legally  bound.  So  they 
told  me,  both  captain  and  mate,  and  I  believed  it. 

I  could  not  escape,  no  matter  how  severe  the  treat- 
ment. Should  I  attempt  to  run  away  from  the  ship,  it 
would  be  desertion.  I  could  be  brought  back  and  pun- 
ished for  it.  Even  in  a  foreign  port  the  chances  of 
desertion  would  be  no  better,  but  worse,  since  there  the 
Bailor  finds  it  more  difficult  to  conceal  himself.     I  had 


RAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  11 

no  hope  then  of  escaping  from  the  cruel  thrall  in  which 
I  now  found  myself  but  by  putting  an  end  to  my  exist- 
ence, either  by  jumping  into  tlie  sea  or  hanging  myself 
from  the  yard-arm,  —  a  purpose  which  on  more  than 
one  occasion  I  seriously  entertained  ;  but  from  which  I 
was  diverted  by  the  religious  teachings  of  my  youth, 
now  remembered  in  the  midst  of  my  misery. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  detail  the  number 
of  cruelties  and  indignities  to  which  I  was  forced  to 
submiL     My  existence  was  a  series  of  both. 

Even  my  sleep,  if  sleep  it  could  be  called,  I  was  not 
allowed  to  enjoy.  I  possessed  neither  mattress  nor 
hammock,  for  I  had  come  aboard  in  my  common  wear- 
ing clothes, —  in  my  school  jacket  and  cap,  —  without 
either  money  in  my  pocket  or  luggage  in  my  hands.  I 
had  not  even  the  usual  equipments  of  a  runaway,  —  the 
kerchief  bundle  and  stick  :  I  possessed  absolutely  noth- 
ing, —  much  less  a  mattress  or  hammock.  Such  things 
a  skipper  does  not  find  for  his  crew,  and  of  course 
there  was  none  for  me.  I  was  not  even  allowed  a 
"  bunk "  to  sleep  in,  for  the  forecastle  was  crowded, 
and  most  of  the  bunks  carried  double.  Those  that 
were  occupied  by  only  one  chanced  to  have  for  their 
tenants  the  most  morose  and  ill-natured  of  the  crew, 
and  I  was  not  permitted  to  share  with  them.  Even 
stiU  more  inho>pitable  were  these  fiends,  —  for  I  can- 
not help  calling  them  so  when  I  look  back  on  what  I 
suffered  at  their  hands.  I  was  not  even  allowed  to  lie 
upon  their  great  chests,  a  row  of  which  extended 
around  the  forecastle,  in  front  of  the  respective  bunks, 
and  covered  nearly  the  whole  space  of  the  floor.     The 


12  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

floor  itself  did  not  leave  room  for  me  to  lie  down  ;  be- 
sides it  was  often  wet  by  dirty  water  being  spilled  upon 
it,  or  from  the  daily  "  swabbing  "  it  usually  received. 
The  only  place  I  could  rest  —  with  some  slight  chance 
of  being  left  undisturbed  —  Avas  in  some  corner  upon 
the  deck ;  but  there  it  was  at  times  so  cold  I  could  not 
endure  it,  for  I  had  no  blanket,  —  no  covering  but  my 
scanty  clothes  ;  and  these  were  nearly  always  wet  from 
washing  the  decks  and  the  scud  of  the  sea.  The  cold 
compelled  me  to  seek  shelter  below,  where  if  I  stretched 
my  weary  limbs  along  the  lid  of  a  chest,  and  closed  my 
eyes  in  sleep,  I  was  sure  to  be  aroused  by  its  surly 
owner,  who  would  push  me  rudely  to  the  floor,  and 
sometimes  send  me  out  of  the  forecastle  altogether. 

Add  to  this  that  I  was  almost  constantly  kept  at 
work,  by  night  as  by  day.  I  may  say  there  Avas  no 
drudgery,  no  "  dirty  work,"  tliat  was  not  mine.  I  was 
not  only  slave  to  captain,  mates,  and  carpenter,  but 
every  man  of  the  crew  esteemed  himself  my  master. 
Even  "  Snowball "  in  the  "  caboose  "  —  as  the  cook  Avas 
jocularly  termed  —  ordered  me  about  with  a  fierce 
exultation,  that  he  had  one  white  skin  that  he  could 
command ! 

I  Avas  boot-black  for  the  captain,  mates,  and  carpen- 
ter, bottle-Avasher  for  the  cook,  and  chamber-boy  for 
the  men,  —  for  it  Avas  mine  to  swab  out  the  forecastle, 
and  Avait  upon  the  sailors  generally, 

O,  it  Avas  a  terrible  life  !  I  Avas  Avell  punished  for 
my  one  act  of  filial  disobedience,  —  Avell  rcAA^arded  for 
my  aspirations  and  longings  for  the  sea.  But  it  is  just 
the  role  that  many  a  poor  sailor-boy  has  to  play,  — 
more  especially  if,  like  me,  he  has  run  aAvay  to  sea. 


KAK   AWAY   TO    SEA.  13 


CHAPTER    III. 


For  many  long  days  and  niglits  I  endured  this  ter- 
rible oppression  without  complaining ;  not  but  that  I 
could  have  complained,  and  would,  but  to  what  pur- 
pose ?  and  to  whom  ?  There  was  none  to  whom  I 
might  appeal,  no  one  to  listen  to  my  tale  of  woe.  All 
hands  were  equally  indifferent  to  my  sufferings,  or  at 
least  seemed  so,  since  no  one  offered  either  to  take  my 
part  or  say  a  Avord  in  my  favor. 

At  length,  however,  an  incident  occurred  which 
seemed  to  make  me  in  some  measure  the  protege  of  one 
of  the  sailors,  who,  though  he  could  not  shield  me  fi-om 
the  brutalities  of  the  captain  or  mate,  was  at  least  able 
to  protect  me  from  the  indignities  I  had  hitherto  suf- 
fered at  the  hands  of  the  common  men. 

This  sailor  was  named  "  Ben  Brace,"  but  whether 
this  was  a  real  name,  or  one  which  he  had  acquired  at 
sea,  I  could  never  tell.  It  Avas  the  only  name  that  I 
ever  heard  given  him,  and  that  by  which  he  was  en- 
tered in  the  ship's  books.  It.  is  quite  possible  that 
"  Ben  Brace "  was  his  real  riumo,  for  among  seamen 
such  appellations  as  "  Tom  Bowline,"  "  Bill  Buntline," 
and  the  like,  are  not  uncommon,  having  descended  from 
father  to  sou  through  a  long  line  of  sailor  ancestry. 
2 


14  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Ben  Brace  then  was  the  name  of  my  protector,  and 
ahhougli  the  name  is  elsewhei*e  famous,  for  the  sake  of 
truth  I  cannot  aUer  it.  IIovv  I  came  to  secure  the  pat- 
ronage of  Ben  was  not  through  any  merit  of  my  own, 
nor  indeed  did  it  arise  from  any  very  dehcate  sympa- 
thy on  his  part.  The  companionship  in  which  he  had 
long  lived  had  naturally  hardened  his  feelings  like  the 
rest,  though  not  by  any  means  to  so  great  an  extent. 
He  was  only  a  little  indifferent  to  human  suffering, 
having  witnessed  much  of  it,  and  usage  will  make  cal- 
lous the  most  sensitive  natures.  Moreover,  Ben  had 
himself  suffered  ill-treatment,  as  I  afterwards  learnt 
from  him ;  savage  abuse  had  he  suffered,  and  this  had 
sunk  into  his  spirit  and  rendered  him  somewhat  morose. 
There  was  some  apology  for  him  if  his  manner  was 
none  of  the  gentlest.  His  natural  disposition  had  been 
abused,  for  at  bottom  there  was  as  much  kindness  in 
his  nature  as  belongs  to  the  average  of  men. 

A  rough,  splendid  seaman  was  Brace,  the  very  best 
on  board ;  and  this  point  was  generally  conceded  by  the 
others,  though  he  was  not  without  one  or  two  rivals. 

It  was  a  splendid  sight  to  see  Ben  Brace,  at  the  ap- 
proach of  a  sudden  squall,  "  swarming  "  up  the  shrouds 
to  reef  a  topsail,  his  fine  bushy  curls  blowing  out  be- 
hind, while  upon  his  face  sat  that  calm  but  daring  ex- 
pression, as  if  he  defied  the  storm  and  could  master  it. 
He  was  a  large  man,  but  well  proportioned,  rather  lithe 
and  sinewy  than  robust,  with  a  shock  of  dark-brown 
hair  in  thick  curls  somewhat  matted,  covering  the  whole 
of  his  head  ;  for  he  was  still  but  a  young  man,  and 
there  were  no  signs  of  baldness.     His  face  was  good. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  15 

rather  darkish  in  complexion,  and  he  wore  neither 
beard  nor  whisker,  —  Avhich  was  rather  odd  for  a  sailor, 
whose  opportunities  for  shaving  are  none  of  the  best. 
But  Ben  liked  a  clean  face,  and  always  kept  one.  lie 
was  no  sea  dandy,  however,  and  never  exhibited  him- 
self, even  on  Sundays,  with  fine  blue  jacket  and  fancy 
collars,  as  some  others  were  wont  to  do.  On  the  con- 
trary, his  wear  was  a  dark  blue  Guernsey  shirt,  fitting 
tight  to  his  chest,  and  displaying  the  fine  proportions 
of  his  arms  and  bust.  His  neck  a  sculptor  would  have 
admired  from  its  bold,  regular  outline,  and  his  breast 
was  full  and  well  rounded,  though,  like  that  of  all  sail- 
ors, it  was  disfigured  by  tattooing,  and  over  its  surface, 
when  bare,  and  on  his  arms,  you  might  have  observed 
the  usual  hieroglyphics  of  the  ship,  —  the  foul  anchor, 
the  pair  of  pierced  hearts,  with  the  B.  B.,  and  numer- 
ous other  initials.  A  female  figure  uj)on  the  left  breast, 
rudely  punctured  in  deep-blue,  was  no  doubt  the  pre- 
sumed portrait  of  some  black-eyed  "  Sal "  or  "  Susan  " 
of  the  Downs. 

Such  was  Ben  Brace,  my  new-found  friend  and  pro- 
tector. 

How  I  came  to  secure  his  protection  was  by  a  chance 
incident,  somewhat  curious.     It  was  thus. 

I  had  not  been  long  on  board  before  I  made  a  dis- 
covery that  somewhat  astonished  me,  which  was,  that 
more  than  half  the  crew  were  foreigners.  I  was  as- 
tonished at  this,  because  I  had  hitlu>rto  been  under  the 
impression  that  an  Englisli  ship  was  always  manned 
by  Englisli  sailors,  including  of  course  Scotch  and  Irish, 
either  of  whom  make  just  as  good  sailors  as  English- 


16  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

men.  Instead  of  being  all  English,  or  Scotch,  or  Irish, 
however,  on  board  the  Pandoi*a  (for  that  I  had  learnt 
was  the  name  of  the  ship,  and  an  appropriate  name  it 
was),  I  soon  perceived  that  at  least  three  fourths  of  the 
men  were  from  other  countries.  Were  they  French- 
men ?  or  Spaniards  ?  or  Portuguese  ?  or  Dutch  ?  or 
Swedes  ?  or  Italians  ?  No,  but  they  were  all  these, 
and  far  more  too,  since  the  crew  was  a  very  large 
one  for  the  size  of  the  ship,  —  quite  two  score  of 
them  in  all.  There  seemed  to  be  among  them  a  rep- 
resentative of  every  maritime  nation  in  the  world,  and 
indeed,  had  every  country  in  sending  its  quota  se- 
lected the  greatest  scamp  within  its  boundaries,  they 
could  hardly  have  produced  a  finer  combination  of 
ruffianism  than  was  the  crew  of  Pandora!  I  have 
already  hinted  at  exceptions,  but  when  I  came  to  know 
them  all  there  were  only  two,  —  my  protector  Brace, 
and  another  innocent  but  unfortunate  fellow,  who  was 
by  birth  a  Dutchman. 

Among  the  mixed  lot  there  were  several  French- 
men, but  one,  named  "  Le  Gros,"  deserves  particular 
notice.  He  Avas  well  named,  for  he  was  a  stout,  fat 
Frenchman,  gross  in  body  as  in  mind,  with  a  face  of 
ferocious  aspect,  more  than  half  covered  with  a  beard 
that  a  pirate  might  have  envied,  —  and  indeed  it  was  a 
pirate's  beard,  as  I  afterwards  learnt. 

Le  Gros  was  a  bully.  His  great  size  and  strength 
enabled  him  to  enact  the  part  of  the  bully,  and  upon 
all  occasions  he  played  it  to  perfection.  He  was  a 
bold  man,  however,  and  a  good  seaman,  —  one  of  the 
two  or  three  who  divided  the  championship  with  Ben 


KAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  17 

Brace.  I  need  hardly  say  that  there  was  a  rivahy  be- 
tween them,  with  national  prejudices  at  the  bottom  of 
it.  To  this  rivalry  was  I  indebted  for  the  friendship 
of  Ben  Brace. 

It  came  about  thus.  By  some  trifling  act  I  had  of- 
fended the  Frenchman,  and  ever  after  did  he  make  it 
a  point  to  insult  and  annoy  me  by  every  means  in  his 
power,  until  at  length,  on  one  occasion,  he  struck  me  a 
cruel  blow  on  the  face.  That  blow  did  the  business. 
It  touched  the  generous  chord  in  the  heart  of  the  Eng- 
lish sailor,  that,  despite  the  vile  association  in  which 
he  lived,  still  vibrated  at  the  call  of  humanity.  He 
was  present,  and  saw  the  stroke  given,  and  saw,  more- 
over, that  it  was  undeserved.  He  was  lying  in  his 
hammock  at  the  time,  but  instantly  sprang  out,  and, 
without  saying  a  word,  he  made  a  rush  at  Le  Gros  and 
pinned  him  with  a  John  Bull  hit  upon  the  chin. 

The  bully  staggered  back  against  a  chest,  but  in  a 
moment  recovered  himself;  and  then  both  went  on 
deck,  where  a  ring  was  formed,  and  they  went  to  work 
with  the  fists  in  right  earnest.  The  otficers  of  the  ship 
did  not  interfere,  —  in  fact  the  mate  drew  near  and 
looked  on,  rather  as  I  thought  with  an  interest  in  the 
combat,  than  with  any  desire  to  put  an  end  to  it,  and 
the  captain  remained  upon  his  quarter-deck,  apparently 
not  caring  how  it  ended  !  I  wondered  at  this  want  of 
discipline,  but  I  had  already  begun  to  wonder  at  many 
other  matters  that  occurred  daily  on  board  the  Pandora, 
and  I  said  nothing. 

The  fight  lasted  a  good  while,  but  ended  as  might  be 
expected,  when  a  fist  combat  occurs  between  an  Eng- 
2* 


18  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

lishman  and  Frenchman.  The  latter  was  badly 
thrashed,  and  that  portion  of  his  face  that  was  not 
already  black  with  hair  was  soon  turned  to  a  bluish-black 
by  the  rough,  hard  knuckles  of  his  antagonist.  He  was 
at  length  felled  to  the  deck  like  a  great  bullock,  and 
obliged  to  acknowledge  himself  beaten. 

"  Now,  you  danged  parleyvoo ! "  cried  Brace,  as  he 
gave  the  finishing  blow,  "  don't  lay  finger  on  that  boy 
again,  or  I  '11  give  you  just  twice  as  much.  The  boy 's 
English  after  all,  and  gets  enough,  without  being  bul- 
lied by  a  frog-eatin'  Frenchman.  So  mind  what  I  say, 
one  and  all  of  ye,"  and  as  he  said  this  he  scowled  round 
upon  the  crowd,  "  don't  lay  finger  on  him  again  ne'er  a 
one  of  you." 

Nor  did  they  one  or  any  of  them  from  that  time 
forth.  Le  Gros's  chastisement  proved  effectual  in  re- 
straining him,  and  its  example  affected  all  the  others. 

From  that  time  forth  my  existence  became  less 
miserable,  though  for  many  reasons  it  was  still  hard 
enough  to  endure.  My  protector  was  strong  to  shield 
me  from  the  crew,  but  I  had  still  the  captain,  the  car- 
penter, and  the  mate  for  my  tormentors. 


KAX   AWAY   TO    SEA.  19 


CHAPTER   IV. 


My  condition,  however,  was  greatly  improved.  I 
was  allowed  my  full  share  of  the  "  lob-scous,"  the  "  sea- 
pies,"  and  "  plum-duff,"  and  was  no  longer  hunted  out 
of  the  forecastle.  I  was  even  permitted  to  sleep  on  the 
dry  lid  of  a  sailor's  chest,  and  had  an  old  blanket  given 
me  by  one  of  the  men,  who  did  it  out  of  compliment, 
not  to  myself,  but  to  Brace,  whose  good  opinion  the  man 
wanted  to  secure.  Another  made  me  a  present  of  a 
knife,  with  a  cord  to  hang  it  around  my  neck,  and  a  tin 
platter  was  given  me  by  a  tliird.  Such  are  the  advan- 
tages of  having  a  powerful  patron.  Many  little  "  traps  " 
were  contributed  by  others  of  the  crew,  so  that  I  soon 
had  a  perfect  "  kit,"  and  wanted  nothing  more. 

Of  course  I  felt  grateful  for  all  these  odds  and  ends, 
though  many  of  them  were  received  from  men  who  had 
formerly  given  me  both  cuffs  and  kicks.  But  I  was  never 
slow  to  forgive,  and,  friendless  as  I  had  been,  I  easily 
forgave  them.  I  wanted  all  these  little  matters  very 
badly.  Boys  who  go  to  sea  in  the  usual  way  go  well 
provided  with  change  of  clothes,  —  often  two  or  three, 
—  with  plates,  knives,  fork,  and  spoon ;  in  short,  a 
complete  apparatus  for  eating. 

In    my    hurry   to  get  away  from   home  I  had   not 


20  EAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

thought  of  bringing  one  single  article  of  such  things  ; 
and,  consequently,  I  had  nothing,  —  not  even  a  second 
shirt ! 

I  should  have  been  in  a  terrible  fix,  and  was  so,  in 
truth,  until  the  day  on  -which  Ben  Brace  thrashed  the 
French  bully ;  but  from  that  time  forward  my  condition 
was  sensibly  better.  I  felt  grateful,  therefore,  to  my 
protector ;  but  another  incident  occurred  shortly  after, 
that  not  only  increased  my  gratitude  to  the  highest 
degree  possible,  but  seemed  also  to  make  the  man's 
friendship  for  me  still  stronger  than  before. 

The  incident  I  am  about  to  relate  is  one  that  has  of- 
ten occurred  to  sailor-boys  before  my  time,  and  no  doubt 
will  occur  again,  until  governments  make  better  laws 
for  the  regulation  of  the  merchant  service,  with  a  view  to 
control  and  limit  the  far  too  absolute  power  that  is  now 
intrusted  to  the  commanders  of  merchant-ships.  It  is 
a  positive  and  astounding  fact,  that  many  of  these  men 
believe  they  may  treat  with  absolute  cruelty  any  of  J:he 
poor  people  who  are  under  their  command,  without  the 
slightest  danger  of  being  punished  for  it !  Indeed,  their 
ill-usage  is  only  limited  by  the  length  of  time  their  un- 
fortunate victim  will  stand  it  without  making  resistance. 
Among  sailors,  those  who  are  known  to  be  of  an  inde- 
pendent spirit  and  bold  daring,  are  usually  permitted 
to  enjoy  their  rights  and  privileges ;  but  the  Aveak  and 
unresisting  have  to  suffer,  when  serving  under  mates 
and  captains  of  this  brutal  kind,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted 
that  there  are  too  many  such  in  the  merchant  navy  of 
England. 

The  amount  of  suffering  endured  under  such  tyranny 


EAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  21 

is  almost  incredible.  Many  a  poor  sailor  of  timid  hab- 
its, and  many  a  youthful  sailor-boy,  are  forced  to  lead 
lives  that  are  almo.st  unendurable,  —  drudged  nearlj^  to 
death,  flogged  at  will,  and,  in  short,  treated  as  the 
slaves  of  a  cruel  master. 

The  punishment  inflicted  —  if  it  can  be  called  pun- 
ishment where  no  crime  has  been  committed  —  is  often 
so  severe  as  to  endanger  life,  —  nay,  more,  life  is  not 
unfrequently  taken ;  and  far  oftener  are  sown  the  seeds 
of  disease  and  consequent  death,  which  in  time  produce 
their  fatal  fruit. 

Of  course  every  one  admits  that  the  commander  of  a 
ship  at  sea  should  possess  some  extraordinary  powers 
over  his  men,  beyond  those  which  are  allowed  to  the 
master  of  a  factory  or  the  surveyor  of  a  public  work. 
It  is  argued  that,  M'ithout  such,  he  could  not  answer  for 
the  safety  of  his  vessel.  There  should  be  one  head,  and 
that  should  be  absolute.  This  argument  is  in  part  true. 
Every  sensible  man  will  admit  that  some  extraordinary 
powers  should  be  granted  to  the  captain  of  a  ship ;  but 
the  mistake  has  hitlierto  lain,  not  so  much  in  his  pos- 
sessing this  absolute  power,  as  in  the  want  of  an  ade- 
quate punishment  for  him  whenever  he  abuses  it. 

Hitherto  the  punishment  has  usually  either  failed 
altogether,  or  has  been  so  disproportioned  to  the  crime, 
as  to  be  of  no  service  for  example  to  others.  On  the 
contrary,  it  has  only  encouraged  them  in  their  absolute 
ideas,  by  proving  almost  their  comijlete  irresponsibility. 
The  captain,  with  his  mates  at  his  back,  his  money, 
and  the  habitual  dread  which  many  of  his  crew  feel 
for  him,  can  usually  "  outsweai- "  the  poor  victim  of  his 


22  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

brutality,  and  often  the  latter  is  deterred  from  seeking 
redress  by  actual  fear  of  still  worse  consequences  in 
case  he  may  be  defeated.  Often  too  the  wearied  suf- 
ferer, on  getting  once  more  to  land,  —  to  his  home,  and 
among  his  friends,  —  is  so  joyed  at  the  termination  of 
his  torments,  that  he  loses  aU  thoughts  of  justice  or 
redress,  and  leaves  his  tyrant  to  depart  without  pun- 
ishment. 

The  history  of  emigration  would  furnish  many  a  sad 
tale  of  petty  tyranny  and  spite,  practised  on  the  poor 
exile  on  the  way  to  his  wilderness  home.  There  are 
chapters  that  might  be  written  of  buUyism  and  brutahty, 
—  thousand  of  chapters,  —  that  would  touch  the  chords 
of  sympathy  to  the  very  core  of  the  heart.  Many  a 
poor  child  of  destitution  —  prostrated  by  the  sickness 
of  the  sea  —  has  submitted  to  the  direst  tyranny  and 
most  fiendish  abuse  on  the  part  of  those  who  should 
have  cheered  and  protected  him,  and  many  a  one  has 
carried  to  his  far  foi'est-home  a  breast  fiUed  with  re- 
sentment against  the  mariner  of  the  ocean.  It  is  a 
matter  of  great  regret,  that  the  governments  of  migrating 
nations  will  not  act  with  more  energy  in  this  matter, 
and  give  better  protection  to  the  exile,  oft  driven  by 
misfortune  in  search  of  a  new  home. 

A  pity  it  is  that  better  laws  are  not  made  for  the 
guidance  and  restraint  of  merchant  captains,  who,  taking 
them  altogether,  are  naturally  as  honest,  and  perhaps 
not  less  humane,  than  any  other  class  of  men  ;  but  wlio 
thus  intrusted  with  unbridled  will  and  iU-defined  pow- 
ers, but  follow  the  common  fashion  of  human  natui'e, 
and  become  tyrants  of  the  very  worst  kind. 


KAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA.  23 

It  is  true  that  of  late  some  salutary  examples  have 
been  made,  and  one  who  richly  deserved  it  has  suffered 
the  extreme  punishment  of  the  law ;  but  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  these  good  examples  will  not  be  followed 
up  ;  public  feeling  will  subside  into  its  old  channel  of 
indifference,  and  the  tyranny  of  the  skipper-captain  — 
with  that  of  his  brutal  coadjutor,  the  mate  —  will  be 
allowed  to  flourish  as  of  yore,  to  the  torture  of  many  an 
unfortunate  victim. 

These  remarks  are  hardly  applicable  to  my  oVvti 
particular  case,  for  the  fiends  who  tortured  me  would 
have  done  so  all  the  same  if  the  best  laws  in  the  world 
had  existed.  They  were  beyond  all  laws,  as  I  soon 
after  learnt,  —  all  laws,  human  or  divine,  —  and  of 
course  felt  neither  responsibility  nor  fear  of  punish- 
ment. They  had  no  fear  even  to  take  my  life,  as  will 
be  proved  by  the  incidents  I  am  about  to  relate. 


2-4  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER   V 


One  of  the  disagreeables  which  a  boy-sailor  encoun- 
ters on  first  going  to  sea  is  the  being  compelled  to 
mount  up  "  aloft."  If  the  master  of  the  vessel  be  a 
man  of  considerate  feelings,  he  will  allow  the  appren- 
tice a  little  time  to  get  over  the  dread  of  climbing,  by- 
sending  him  only  into  the  lower  rigging,  or  no  higher 
than  the  main  or  foretop.  Pie  will  practise  him  a  good 
deal  upon  the  "shrouds,"  so  as  to  accustom  his  feet  and 
fingers  to  the  "  ratlines  "  and  other  ropes,  and  will  even 
permit  him  to  pass  a  number  of  times  through  the 
"  lubber's  hole,"  instead  of  forcing  him  to  climb  back 
downwards  by  the  "  futtock  shrouds." 

A  few  trials  of  this  kind  will  take  away  the  giddi- 
ness felt  on  first  mounting  to  a  high  elevation,  and  thus 
a  boy  may  safely  be  denied  the  use  of  the  "  lubber's 
hole,"  and  may  be  sent  uj)  the  futtock  shrouds,  and  af- 
ter that  the  topgallant  shrouds,  and  so  on  to  the  royals, 
—  if  there  be  any  on  the  ship,  —  and  by  thus  gradually 
inducting  him  into  the  art  of  climbing,  he  will  get  over 
the  difficulty  without  dread  and  without  peril,  —  for 
both  of  these  may  be  encountered  in  first  climbing  to 
the  upper  rigging  of  a  ship.  It  is  usual,  then,  for  mas- 
ters who  are  humane,  to  permit  boys  to  become  some- 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  25 

what  accustomed  to  the  handling  of  ropes  before  send- 
inof  them  into  the  hiorhest  rio;";ino[. 

But,  alas !  there  are  many  who  have  not  this  consid- 
eration, and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  youth,  fresh  from 
home  and  school,  to  be  ordered  up  to  the  topgallant 
cross-trees,  or  even  the  royal  yard,  at  the  very  first  go, 
and  of  course  his  life  is  imperilled  by  the  ascent.  Not 
unfrequent  have  been  the  instances  in  which  the  lives 
of  boys  have  been  sacrificed  in  this  very  way. 

Now  it  so  hap^jened  that  for  two  weeks  after  I  had 
set  foot  upon  board  the  Pandora  I  had  never  been  or- 
dered "  aloft."  I  had  not  even  had  occasion  to  ascend 
the  lower  shrouds,  though  I  had  done  so  of  my  own 
will,  as  I  was  desirous  of  learning  to  climb.  In  all  my 
life  I  had  never  been  higher  than  the  branches  of  an 
apple-tree ;  and  since  I  had  now  chosen  the  sea  for  my 
profession,  —  though  I  sadly  repented  my  choice,  —  I 
felt  that  the  sooner  I  learnt  to  move  about  among  the 
rigging  the  better. 

But,  singular  to  say,  for  the  first  two  weeks  after  em- 
barking myself  on  the  Pandora  I  found  but  little  oppor- 
tunity of  practising.  Once  or  twice  I  had  climbed  up 
the  ratlines,  and  crawled  through  the  lubber's  hole  to 
the  maintop ;  and  this  I  believed  to  be  something  of  a 
feat,  for  I  felt  giddy  enough  while  accomplishing  it.  I 
would  have  extended  my  enterprise  by  an  attempt  to 
ascend  the  topmast  shrouds,  but  I  was  never  allowed 
time,  as  the  voice  of  either  captain  or  mate  would 
reach  me  from  below,  usually  summoning  me  with  an 
oath,  and  ordering  me  upon  some  other  business,  such 
as  to  mop  out  the  cabin,  swab  the  quaiter-deck,  black 


26  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

tlieir  boots,-or  perform  some  otlier  menial  act  of  service. 
In  fact,  I  had  begun  to  perceive  that  the  drmiken  old 
skijjper  had  no  intention  of  teaching  me  anything  of  the 
seaman's  craft,  but  had  taken  me  aboard  as  a  sort  of 
slave-of-all-work,  to  be  kicked  about  by  eveiybody,  but 
by  himself  in  particular.  That  this  was  in  reaUty  his 
design  became  every  day  more  evident  to  me,  and 
caused  me  disappointment  and  chagrin.  Not  that  I 
was  any  longer  ambitious  of  being  a  sailor,  and  could 
I  have  transported  myself  safely  home  again  at  that 
moment,  it  is  not  likely  I  should  ever  afterwards  have 
;;6et  foot  upon  a  ratline.  But  I  knew  that  I  was  bent 
upon  a  long  voyage,  —  how  long  or  whither  bound  I 
could  not  tell, —  and  even  though  I  might  be  able  to 
desert  from  the  Pandora  when  she  reached  her  port,' — 
a  purpose  I  secretly  meditated,  —  how  should  I  act 
then?  In  a  foreign  land,  without  friends,  without 
money,  without  the  knowledge  of  a  trade,  how  was  I 
to  exist,  even  if  I  could  escape  from  the  bondage  of 
my  apprenticeship  ?  In  all  Hkelihood  I  should  starve. 
Without  knowing  aught  of  seamanship,  I  should  have 
no  chance  of  getting  a  jjassage  home  agam ;  whereas, 
if  I  had  been  alloAved  to  practise  with  the  rest,  I  might 
soon  have  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  to  enable  me 
to  "  work  my  passage,"  as  it  is  termed,  to  any  part  of 
the  world.  This  was  just  what  I  wanted,  and  it  was  on 
this  account  I  felt  so  much  aggrieved  at  finding  it  was 
the  very  thing  I  was  not  to  be  taught. 

I  had  the  hardihood  on  one  occasion  —  I  know  not 
what  inspired  me — to  make  a  remonstrance  about  this 
to  the  captain.     I  made  it  ih  the  most  delicate  manner 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  27 

I  could.  My  immediate  answer  was  a  knock-down, 
followed  by  a  series  of  kicks  that  mottled  my  body  with 
blue  spots,  and  the  most  remote  consequence  of  my 

"  d d  impudence,"  as  the    captain    called   it,   was 

worse  treatment  than  ever. 

I  would  soon  have  learnt  to  climb  had  I  been  left  to 
myself,  but  I  was  not  allowed  even  to  practise  that.  I 
was  always  called  below  by  one  or  the  other  of  my 
tyrants,  and  with  an  oath,  a  cuff,  or  a  kick,  ordered 
upon  some  piece  of  "  dirty  work." 

Once,  however,  I  was  not  ordered  "  alow,"  but "  aloft " ; 
once  I  Avas  allowed  to  have  my  till  of  climbing. 

Snatching  an  interval  when  I  thought  both  mate  and 
master  were  asleep,  I  had  gone  up  to  the  maintop. 

Every  one  who  has  looked  upon  a  full-rigged  ship 
must  have  noticed  some  distance  up  the  main-mast  a 
framework  or  platform,  like  a  little  scaffold.  A  similar 
construction  may  be  observed  on  the  fore  and  mizzen- 
mast,  if  tli^  ship  be  a  large  one.  Tliis  platform  is 
called  the  "  top,"  and  its  principal  object  is  to  extend 
the  laddei'-like  ropes,  called  "  shrouds,"  that  reach  from 
its  outer  edge  to  the  head  of  the  mast  next  above,  which 
latter  is  the  topmast.  It  must  here  be  observed  that 
the  "  masts  "  of  a  ship,  as  understood  by  landsmen,  are 
each  divided  into  a  number  of  pieces  in  the  reckoning 
of  a  sailor.  For  instance,  in  a  ship  or  barque  there 
are  three,  which  are  called  respectively  the  main,  fore, 
and  mizzen-masts,  —  the  main-mast  being  near  the  mid- 
dle of  the  ship,  the  fore-mast  forward,  towards  the 
bows,  and  the  mizzen-mast  "  aft,"  near  tlie  stern  or  poop. 
But  each  one  of  these  is  divided  into  several  pieces, 


28  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

which  pieces  have  distinct  names  in  the  sailor's  vocab- 
ulary. Thus,  the  "  main-mast,"  to  a  sailor,  is  not  the 
whole  of  that  long,  straight  stick  which  rises  up  out  of 
the  middle  of  a  ship's  deck,  and  points  like  a  spire  to 
the  sky.  On  the  contrary,  the  main-mast  terminates  a 
little  above  the  platform  just  mentioned,  and  which, 
from  that  circumstance,  is  designated  the  "  maintop." 
Another  mast,  quite  distinct  from  this,  and  made  out  of 
a  separate  piece  of  timber,  there  begins,  and  runs  up 
for  nearly  an  equal  length,  but  of  course  more  slender 
than  the  main-mast  itself,  which  latter  supports  it. 
This  second  is  called  the  "  maintop-mast."  Above  that 
a  third  is  elevated,  supported  upon  the  topmast-head  by 
checks,  trestles,  and  cross-trees.  This  is  shorter  and 
more  slender  than  the  maintop-mast,  and  is  named  the 
"  maintop-gallant-mast,"  and  above  this  again,  the  "  main- 
royal-mast  "  is  similarly  raised,  —  though  it  is  only  in 
the  largest  and  best  rigged  vessels  that  a  "  royal-mast " 
is  used.  The  "  main-royal-mast "  terminates  the  struc- 
ture, and  its  top,  or  head,  is  usually  crowned  with  a  flat 
circular  piece  of  wood,  called  the  "  main-truck,"  which 
is  the  most  elevated  point  of  the  ship.  The  fore  and 
mizzen-masts  are  similai'ly  divided,  though  the  latter 
is  much  shorter  than  either  of  the  others,  and  rarely  has 
top-gallant  sails,  and  still  more  rarely  "  royals." 

I  have  given  this  explanation  in  order  that  you  may 
understand  that  the  maintop  to  which  I  say  I  had 
climbed  Avas  not  the  most  elevated  point  of  the  mast, 
but  simply  the  platform  near  the  head  of  the  main- 
mast, as  understood  by  sailors. 

This  platform  is,  in  the  common   parlance  of  the 


RAN    AAVAT    TO    SEA.  29 

crew,  frequently  designated  the  "cradle,"  and  it  merits 
the  appellation,  for  in  a  vessel  at  sea  and  under  a  breeze 
it  is  generally  "  roeked  "  about,  either  in  long  sweeps 
from  side  to  side,  or  backward  and  forward  from  stem 
to  stern,  according  to  the  ship's  motion.  It  is  the  pleas- 
antest  part  of  the  ship  for  one  who  is  inclined  to  soli- 
tude, for  once  upon  it,  you  cannot  see  aught  of  what  is 
going  on  below,  unless  you  look  over  the  edge  or  down 
through  the  lubber's  hole  akeady  mentioned.  You  may 
hear  the  voices  of  the  creAv,  but  not  distinctly,  as  the 
surge  of  the  sea  itself,  and  the  wind  drumming  upon 
the  sails  and  whistling  through  the  shrouds,  usually 
di'owns  most  other  sounds.  To  me  it  was  the  greatest 
luxury  to  spend  a  few  minutes  in  this  retired  spot. 
Sick  of  the .  association  into  which  I  had  so  heedlessly 
throAvn  myself,  disgusted  with  the  constant  blasphemy 
ever  in  my  ears,  and,  above  all,  longing  for  repose,  I 
would  have  given  anything  to  have  been  permitted  to 
spend  my  leisure  hours  in  this  aerial  cradle  ;  but  I 
found  no  leisure  hours  nor  moments  for  such  indul- 
gence, for  my  unfeeling  tyrants  gave  me  neither  rest 
nor  repose.  The-  mate,  in  particular,  seemed  to  take 
pleasure  in  rendering  my  existence  as  miserable  as 
he  could ;  and,  discovering  that  I  had  a  predilection 
for  the  "  top,"  seemed  determined  that  of  all  other 
places  I  should  not  go  there  to  rest  myself. 

One  day,  however,  believing  that  he  and  the  cap- 
tain had  both  gone  to  sleep, —  as  they  sometimes  did 
in  fine  weather,  —  I  took  the  opportunity  of  ascending 
to  my  favorite  perch ;  and,  stretching  my  wearied  limbs 
along  the  hard  planks,  I  lay  listening  to  the  sad  sighuig 
3* 


so  RAN    AWAY    TO    SKA. 

of  the  Avintls  and  the  waters.  A  sweet  breeze  fanncfl 
my  brow,  and,  notwithstanding  the  danger  which  there 
was  in  faUing  asleep  there,  —  for  there  was  no  "  top 
armor  "  or  netting  upon  the  Pandora,  —  I  was  soon  in 
the  land  of  dreams. 


• 

KAX   AWAY   TO    SEA.  31 


CHAPTER    VI. 


Mt  dreams  were  by  no  means  of  a  pleasant  nature. 
How  could  they  be,  considering  the  life  I  was  com- 
pelled to  lead  ?  With  my  spirit  hourly  harassed  by 
indignities,  and  my  body  wearied  with  over-work,  it  is 
not  likely  I  should  have  sweet  dreams. 

Though  not  sweet,  however,  they  were  shoi't  enough, 
—  at  least  my  sleep  was  so,  for  my  eyes  had  not  been 
closed  above  five  minutes  when  I  was  rudely  awakened, 
not  by  a  voice,  but  by  a  smart  thwack  upon  the  hips, 
adminstered  by  no  light  hand,  and  with  an  instrument 
that  I  knew  by  the  feel  to  be  Avhat,  m  sailors'  parlance, 
is  called  a  "  rope's  end." 

It  needed  no  repetition  of  the  stroke  to  awake  me, 
and  cause  me  to  start  to  my  feet ;  had  it  done  so,  I 
should  certainly  have  caught  it  again  as  sharply  as 
before,  —  for,  on  springing  up,  I  saw  the  hand  of  the 
fellow  who  had  struck  me  raised  aloft  to  repeat  the 
blow.  He  did  repeat  it,  but  my  sudden  rising  spoiled 
his  aim,  and  the  rope's  end  doubled  loosely  over  my 
shoulders. 

I  was  not  a  little  astonished  on  recognizing  the  ruf- 
fian.    It  was  the  French  bully,  Le  Gros ! 

I  knew  that  he  had  the  disposition  to  flog  me  with  a 


32  HAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

rope's  end,  or  anything  else,  —  for  lie  still  harlwred  a 
heart  full  of  malice  against  me,  —  I  well  knew  that  he 
was  not  wanting  in  the  will ;  had  we  heen  in  some  cor- 
ner of  the  earth  all  alone  by  ourselves,  I  sliould  not 
have  been  astonished  at  him  flogging '  me  almost  to 
death,  —  not  a  bit  of  it.  But  what  surprised  me  was 
his  daring  to  do  so  there  and  then.  Ever  since  Brace 
had  thrashed  liim,  he  had  been  as  mute  as  a  mouse,  — 
morose  enough  with  me,  but  never  offering  any  insult 
that  might  be  resented  by  my  protector. 

What  had  happened,  then,  to  cause  this  change  ? 
Had  he  again  fought  with  Brace  and  beaten  him  ?  Or 
had  my  patron  taken  some  offence  at  me  and  with- 
drawn his  protection,  thus  leaving  the  ruffian  free  to 
chastise  me  for  his  own  especial  pleasure  ? 

Surely  some  change  must  have  taken  place  in  our 
jpiutual  relations,  else  Le  Gros  would  never  have  dared 
to  raise  his  hand  against  me  in  the  manner  he  was 
doing. 

Therefore  was  I  surprised  and  puzzled.  Could  it 
be  that,  finding  me  all  alone  upon  the  top,  he  had  taken 
the  fancy  into  his  head  that  he  could  there  give  me  a 
drubbing  without  being  seen  ? 

Surely  that  could  not  be  his  idea  ?  If  not  seen,  I 
could  be  heard.  I  might  easily  cry  out,  so  that  my 
protector  would  hear  me ;  or  even  if  he  could  not,  I 
could  tell  him  afterwards  ;  and  though  that  would  not 
save  me  from  the  drubbing,  it  would  get  me  the  satis- 
faction of  seeing  Le  Gros  catch  one  as  well. 

•  These  reflections  passed  almost  instantaneously 
through  my  mind,  —  they  occupied  only  a  few  seconds, 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SKA.  33 

—  just  the  interval  that  elap>e(I  from  the  time  I  first 
stood  to  my  feet  till  I  had  recovered  Irom  the  surprise 
I  felt  at  being  confi'onted  by  the  Fi-enehman.  It  was 
a  short  pause,  for  the  bully  had  again  elevated  the 
rope's  end  to  come  down  with  another  thwack. 

I  leaped  to  one  side  and  partially  avoided  the  blow ; 
and  then  rushing  in  toward  the  mast  I  looked  down  the 
lubbei*'s  hole  to  see  if  Brace  was  below. 

He  was  not  visible,  and  I  would  have  cried  out  for 
him,  but  my  eyes  at  that  moment  rested  upon  two 
objects  that  caused  me  to  hold  my  voice.  Two  indi- 
viduals were  upon  the  quarter-deck  below,  both  looking 
upward.  It  was  not  difficult  to  recognize  them,  —  the 
plump,  jolly,  false  face  of  the  skipper,  and  the  more 
ferocious  countenance  of  his  coadjutor,  were  not  to  be 
mistaken.  Both,  as  I  have  said,  were  looking  upward, 
and  the  wicked  expression  that  danced  in  the  round 
bullet  eyes  of  the  former,  with  the  grim  smile  of  satis- 
faction that  sat  upon  the  lips  of  the  latter,  told  me  at  a 
glance  that  the  Frenchman  and  I  were  the  objects  of 
their  attention. 

The  unlooked-for  attack  on  the  part  of  Le  Gros  was 
now  explained  :  —  he  was  not  acting  for  himself,  but  as 
the  deputy  of  the  others  !  It  was  plain  they  had  given 
him  orders,  and  from  the  attitude  in  which  they  stood, 
and  the  demoniac  expression  already  noticed,  I  felt 
satisfied  that  some  new  torture  was  intended  for  me. 

I  did  not  cry  out  for  Brace,  it  would  have  been  of  no 
use.  The  brave  fellow  could  not  protect  me  from  ty- 
rants like  these.  They  were  his  masters,  with  law  on 
their  side  to  put  him  in  chains  if  he  interfered,  even 


S4  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

with  his  voice,  —  to  shoot  or  cut  him  doAvn  if  he  at- 
tempted to  rescu^i  me. 

I  knew  he  dared  not  interrupt  them,  no  matter  what 
cruehy  they  might  inflict.  It  would  be  better  not  to 
get  him  into  trouble  with  his  superiors,  and,  under 
these  considerations,  I  held  my  tongue  and  awaited 
the  event. 

I  was  not  kept  long  in  doubt  about  their  intentions. 

"  Hang  the  lazy  lubber ! "  shouted  the  mate  from 
below,  —  "  snoring  in  broad  daylight,  eh  ?  Wake  him 
up  with  the  rope's  end,  Frenchy  !  Wallop  liim  till  he 
sings  out ! " 

"  No,"  cried  the  captain,  to  whom  a  better  pro- 
gi-amme  had  suggested  itself.  "  Send  him  aloft !  He 
seems  fond  of  climbing  up  stairs.  Drive  him  to  the 
garret !  He  wants  to  be  a  sailor,  —  we  '11  make  one 
of  him  !  " 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  "  rejoined  the  mate  with  a  horse-laugh  at 
the  wit  of  his  superior ;  "  the  very  thing,  by  Jove  !  give 
him  an  airing  on  the  royal-}'ard  !  " 

"  Ay,  —  ay !  "  answered  Le  Gros,  and  then,  tui'ning 
to  me,  with  the  rope  held  in  mejiace,  he  ordered  me  to 
ascend. 

I  had  no  alternative  but  obey,  and,  twisting  myself 
around"  the  tojimast  shrouds,  I  caught  the  r^tliiaes  in 
my  hands  and  commenced  climbing  upward. 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  35 


CHAPTER    VII. 


I  CLIMBED  with  slow  and  nervous  step.  I  should 
have  gone  much  slower  but  that  I  was  forced  upward 
by  Le  Gros,  avIio  followed  me  with  the  rope's  end,  with 
which  he  struck  me  behind  whenever  I  made  a  stop. 
He  delivered  his  blows  Avith  fiendish  spite,  stx'iking  me 
about  the  legs  and  over  the  posteriors,  and  trying  to 
hurt  me  as  much  as  possible.  In  this  he  succeeded, 
for  the  hard-knotted  rope  pained  me  exceedingly.  I 
had  no  alternative,  therefore,  but  to  keep  on  upward  or 
submit  to  his  lashing.     I  kept  on. 

I  reached  the  topmast  cross-trees,  and  mounted  upon 
them.  O,  it  was  a  fearful  sight  to  look  down  !  Below 
me  was  nothing  but  the  sea  itself,  for  the  masts,  bent 
over  by  the  breeze,  were  far  from  being  perpendicular. 
I  felt  as  if  suspended  in  the  aii',  with  not  even  the  earth 
beneath  me,  —  for  the  surface  of  the  sea  was  below, 
glittering  like  the  sky  itself. 

Beneath  me,  however,  at  my  feet,  was  the  dark, 
scowling  face  of  Le  Gros,  who,  with  threatening  voice 
and  gestures,  ordered  me  upward,  —  still  upward  ! 

Upward!  how  could  I  climb  fjirther?  Above  me 
extended  the  topgallant  rigging.  Upon  this  there  were 
no  ratlines,  nothing  to  rest  the  foot  upon,  —  nothing  but 


36  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA, 

the  two  black,  rigid  ropes,  converging  until  they  met  at 
the  head  of  the  mast.  How  could  I  ascend  them  ?  It 
seemed  beyond  my  power  to  do  so. 

But  I  was  not  even  allowed  to  hesitate.  The  brate 
swung  himself  near,  and  continued  plying  the  knotted 
cord  upon  my  shins,  at  the  same  time  uttering  oaths 
and  ferocious  threats  that  he  would  cut  every  inch  of 
skin  off  my  body  if  I  did  not  go  aloft. 

I  had  no  alternative  but  to  try,  and,  placing  myself 
between  the  ropes,  I  commenced  drawing  myself  up- 
ward. After  a  severe  effort  I  succeeded  in  getting 
upon  the  top-gallant  yard,  where  I  again  paused,  —  I 
could  go  no  farther.  My  breath  was  quite  gone,  and 
I  had  scarce  strength  to  hold  by  the  rigging  and  pre- 
vent myself  from  falling. 

The  royal-mast  still  towered  above,  and  below 
threatened  the  dark  face  of  Le  Gros.  There  was  a 
smile  upon  it  in  the  midst  of  its  scowling,  —  a  smile  of 
satisfaction  at  the  agony  he  saw  I  was  undergoing  at 
that  moment. 

I  could  still  hear  the  voices  of  the  fiends  below, 
calling  out  the  commands  :  "  Up  with  him,  Frenchy  ! 
—  up  to  the  royal-yard  !  " 

I  thought  I  heard  other  voices,  and  that  of  Brace 
repeating  the  words,  "  Avast  there  !  avast !  the  lad 's 
in  danger." 

I  looked  in  a  slanting  direction  toward  the  deck.  I 
saw  the  crew  standing  by  the  forecastle ;  I  thought 
there  was  confusion  among  them,  and  a  scuffle,  as  if 
some  were  taking  my  part,  and  others  approving  of 
what  was  going  on  ;  but  I  was  too  frightened  to  make 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  37 

an   exact  observation  at    the    moment,   and  too  much 
occu2)ied  by  the  rufhan  who  Avas  neai'est  me. 

"•  U]) !  "  he  cried,  '•  up,  or,  pe  Gar !  I  flog  you  to  ze 
death  for  von  land-lobber,  —  I  vill,  sacr-r-e  !  " 

And  with  this  threat  he  again  plied  the  instrument 
of  torture,  more  sharply  than  ever. 
,  I  could  not  stand  it.  The  royal-yard  was  the  highest 
point  to  which  they  intended  to  force  me.  If  I  could 
reach  it  then  they  would  be  satisfied,  and  would  cease 
to  jiunish  me.  It  is  a  perilous  feat,  even  for  one  who 
has  had  some  practice  in  climbing,  to  reaph  the  rojal- 
yard  of  a  big  ship,  but  to  me  it  appearei^  impossible 
that  I  could  accomplish  it.  Tliere  was  but  the  smooth 
rope,  —  with  neither  knot  nor  loop  to  aid  hand  or  foot. 
I  must  go  up  it  hand  over  hand,  dragging  the  whole 
weight  of  my  body.  O,  it  was  a  di-ead  and  pei-ilous 
prospect !  but  despair,  or  rather  Le  Gros,  at  length 
forced  me  to  the  trial,  and,  grasping  the  smooth  stay 
rope,  I  commenced  climbing  upward. 

I  had  got  more  than  half-wa}',  —  the  royal-yard  was 
almost  within  reach,  —  when  my  strength  completely 
failed  me.  My  heart  grew  Aveak  and  sick,  and  my 
head  swam  with  giddiness.  I  could  sustain  myself  no 
longer,  my  grasp  on  the  rope  gave  way,  and  I  felt 
myself  falling,  —  falling,  —  at  the  same  time  choking 
for  want  of  breath. 

For  all  this  I  did  not  lose  consciousness.  I  still 
preserved  my  senses  thi-ough  all  that  ten-ible  descent ; 
and  believed  while  falling  that  I  should  be  killed  by 
the  fall,  or,  wliat  was  the  same  thing,  drowned  in  the 
Bea  below.  I  was  even  sensible  when  I  struck  the 
4 


38  RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA. 

water  and  plunged  deeply  below  the  surface,  and  I  had 
an  idea  that  I  did  not  drop  directly  from  the  royal-mast 
into  the  sea,  but  that  my  fall  was  broken  by  sometliing 
half-way  doMTi.  This  proved  to  be  correct,  as  I  after- 
wards learnt.  The  ship  chanced  to  be  under  full  canvas 
at  the  time,  and  the  main-topsail,  swollen  out  by  the 
fresh  breeze,  had  caught  me  on  its  convex  side  as  I 
came  down.  From  this  I  had  bounded  off  again,  but 
the  impetus  of  the  fall  had  been  thus  lessened ;  and 
the  second  pitch  into  the  sea  was  not  so  violent  as  it 
would  otherwise  have  been.  Otherwise,  indeed,  I 
should  have  been  crushed  upon  the  surface  of  the  water, 
never  to  breathe  again.  Another  circumstance  hap- 
pened in  my  favor :  my  body  had  turned  round  as  I 
parted  from  the  top,  and  I  was  going  head-downward ; 
but,  on  striking  the  «ail,  the  attitude  was  reversed,  and 
I  reached  the  water  in  a  perpendicular  position,  with 
my  feet  downward.  Consequently,  the  shock  was  less, 
and,  sinking  deeply  in  the  waves,  I  was  saved.  All 
these  points  I  learnt  afterwards,  from  one  who  had 
anxiously  watched  me  in  my  descent. 

When  I  rose  to  the  surface,  of  course  it  was  with 
confused  senses,  and  with  surprise  that  I  still  lived,  — 
for  I  had  been  certain  on  letting  go  my  hold  that  I 
was  being  hurled  into  eternity,  —  yes,  I  fully  believed 
that  my  end  had  come. 

I  now  perceived  that  I  was  still  living,  —  that  I  was 
in  the  sea,  —  that  waves  were  dashing  around  me ;  and 
on  looking  up  I  saw  the  dark  ship  at  a  cable's  distance 
from  me,  still  passing  away.  I  thought  I  saw  men 
standing  along  the  tafil-ail,  and  some  clinging  upon  the 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  39 

shrouds ;  but  the  ship  appeared  to  be  going  fast  away, 
and  leaving  me  behind  in  the  water. 

I  liad  learnt  to  swim,  and,  for  a  boy,  was  a  good 
average  swimmer.  Feeling  that  I  was  not  hurt  I 
instinctively  struck  out,  though  not  to  follow  the  vessel, 
but  to  keep  myself  from  sinking.  I  looked  around  to 
see  if  there  was  anything  I  might  cling  to,  as  I  fancied 
that  something  might  have  been  thrown  out  from  the 
ship.  I  could  see  nothing  at  first,  but  as  I  mounted 
upon  the  top  of  a  wave  I  noticed  a  dark  round  object, 
between  me  and  the  hull,  which,  notwithstanding  tliat 
the  sun  was  in  my  eyes,  I  made  out  to  be  the  head  of 
a  man.  lie  was  still  at  some  distance,  but  evidently 
nearing  me,  and  as  it  approached,  I  recognized  the 
thick  curly  hair  and  countenance  of  my  protector  Brace. 
He  had  leaped  overboard  and  was  swimming  to  my 
rescue.     In  a  few  seconds  he  was  by  my  side. 

"  Ho  !  "  cried  he,  as  he  drew  near  and  saw  that  I  was 
swimming,  "  all  right,  my  lad !  swim  like  a  duck,  eh  ?  — 
all  right,  —  don't  feel  hurt,  do  you  ?  Lean  on  mc,  if 
you  do." 

I  answered  that  I  felt  strong  enough  to  swim  for 
half  an  hour  if  necessary. 

"  All  right  then,"  he  rejoined  ;  "  we  '11  get  a  rope's 
end  in  less  time  than  that,  though  maybe  you  fancy 
you  've  had  enough  of  rope's  end  ?  Hang  the  inhuman 
scoundrels.  I  '11  revenge  you  yet,  my  lad.  Ship  ahoy  ! " 
he  shouted,  "  this  way  witli  your  rope  !  alioy  !  ahoy  !  " 

By  this  time  the  ship  had  worn  round,  and  w.'^iS 
returning  to  pick  us  up.  Had  I  been  alone  in  tiie 
water,  as  I  afterwards  ascertained,  this  manoeuvre  would 


40  KAN    A^yAY    TO    SEA. 

not  have  been  executed;  or,  at  all  events,  but  very 
little  pains  would  have  been  taken  to  rescue  me.  But 
Brace  havhig  jumped  overboard  rendered  it  necessary 
that  the  ship  should  be  put  about,  and  every  eflfort  made 
to  recover  him,  as  he  was  a  man  of  too  much  impor- 
tance among  the  crew  to  be  sacrificed  with  impunity. 
Neither  mate  nor  captain  dared  leave  him  to  his  fate  ; 
and,  consequently,  the  orders  Avere  given  to  "  Avear  ship." 

Foi-tunately  the  breeze  was  light,  and  the  sea  not 
very  rough ;  and  as  the  vessel  passed  near  to  wliere 
we  were  swimming,  ropes  were  thrown  out  which  both 
of  us  Avere  able  to  seize,  and  by  means  of  AAdiich  we 
were  soon  hauled  up,  and  stood  once  more  safely  upon 
deck. 

The  spite  of  my  tormentors  seemed  to  be  satisfied 
for  the  time.  I  saw  nothing  of  any  of  them  when  I 
got  aboard,  nor  during  the  remainder  of  that  day,  as  I 
was  permitted  to  go  beloAV  and  remain  in  the  forecastle 
duriucj  the  Avhole  of  the  afternoon. 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  41 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


Strange  to  say,  I  received  somewhat  better  treat- 
ment after  this  occurrence,  thougli  it  was  not  from  any 
remorse  at  wliat  had  happened,  or  that  either  mate  or 
captain  had  grown  more  humane  or  friendly.  Tlie 
reason  was  very  different.  It  was  because  both  per- 
ceived that  what  they  had  done  had  produced  an  unfa- 
vorable impression  upon  the  crew.  Many  of  the  men 
were  friends  and  admirers  of  Brace,  and,  along  Avith 
him,  disapproved  altogether  of  the  conduct  of  the  oili- 
cers,  so  that  in  the  forecastle  and  around  the  windlass 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  disaffected  talk  after  this  event, 
often  spoken  loudly  enough.  Brace,  by  his  behavior 
in  leaping  overboard  to  the  rescue,  had  gained  favor, 
—  for  true  courage  always  finds  admirers  whether  they 
be  rude  or  refined,  —  and  the  number  of  Brace's  friends 
was  increased  by  it.  I  heard  that  he  had  really  intex*- 
fered  when  I  was  being  forced  aloft,  and  had  shouted 
out  contradictory  orders  to  those  of  the  mate.  This, 
accounted  for  the  confusion  I  had  noticed  on  deck,  and 
which  was  the  result  of  several  of  his  friends  endeavor- 
ing to  restrain  him,  while  others  were  joirdng  him  in 
his  appeal. 

Both   captain   and   mate   on   the   quarter-deck  had 

4* 


42  RAN    AWAY    TO    SKA. 

heard  all  this,  but  pretended  not  to  notice  it.  Had  it 
been  any  other  man  than  Brace,  they  would  have  in- 
stantly put  him  in  irons,  or  punished  him  still  more 
severely,  —  especially  if  he  had  chanced  to  be  one  of 
the  weaker  and  less  popular  of  .the  crew.  As  it  was, 
they  took  no  ste^^s  in  the  matter,  and  no  one  was  pun- 
ished for  the  expressions  of  remonstrance  that  had  been 
used.  But  both  captain  and  mate  had  noted  the  disaf- 
fection ;  and  that  was  the  reason  why  I  was  afterwards 
treated  with  more  humanity,  or  rather  with  less  cruel- 
ty,—  for  insults  and  indignity  were  still  occasionally 
offered  me  by  one  or  the  other. 

I  was  from  this  time  permitted  to  practise  with  the 
sailors,  and  had  less  of  the  dirty  work  to  do.  A  sort  of 
simple  fellow,  the  Dutchman  akeady  mentioned,  —  who 
was  also  much  played  upon,  —  shared  with  me  the 
meaner  drudgery,  and  had  more  than  half  of  the  spleen 
which  the  captain  and  mate  must  needs  spend  upon 
somebody.  Indeed,  the  poor  Dutchman,  who,  although 
a  harmless  creature,  was  a  wretched  specimen  of  hu- 
manity, came  well-nigh  being  killed  by  their  cruelty ; 
and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  the  injuries  inflicted  ujion 
him,  while  on  board  the  Pandora,  would  have  brought 
him  to  an  earlier  grave  than  Nature  designed  for  him, 
had  it  not  been  his  sad  fate  to  meet  death  at  a  still  ear- 
lier period,  —  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to  relate. 

The  cruelties  committed  upon  this  man  by  the  cap- 
tain and  ipate  of  the  Pandora  Avould  be  incredible  if 
told,  —  incredible,  because  it  would  scarce  be  beUeved 
that  the  human  heart  is  capable  of  such  want  of  feehng. 
But  it  seems  to  be  a  law  of  wicked  natures,  that,  where 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  43 

cruelty  lias  once  commenced  its  career  and  meets  with 
no  resistance  on  the  part  of  its  victim,  the  vile  pas- 
sion, instead  of  being  satisfied,  only  grows  stronger  and 
fiercer,  just  like  it  is  with  savage  beasts  after  they  have 
tasted  blood.  So  seemed  it  with  the  officers  of  the 
Pandora,  for  if  they  even  had  cause  for  revenge  against 
this  poor  sailor,  they  certainly  took  ample  ,.  atisfaction  ; 
but  it  was  just  because  they  had  no  reason  foi  revenge, 
just  because  there  was  no  resistance  on  the  part  of 
their  victim,  that  they  delighted  to  torture  him. 

I  remember  many  of  their  modes  of  torture.  One 
was  to  tie  him  up  by  the  thumbs,  so  that  his  toes  j  ust 
touched  the  deck,  and  there  keep  him  for  hours  togeth- 
er. This  position  may  appear  easy  enough  to  one  who 
has  never  experienced  it.  It  is  far  otherwise,  —  it  is 
a  tortui'e  worthy  of  the  Inquisition.  It  soon  elicits 
groans  from  its  victim.  Another  mode  of  punishment 
—  or  rather  of  amusing  themselves  —  pi'actised  by  the 
worthies  of  the  Pandora's  quarter-deck  on  this  poor 
sailor,  was  to  sling  him  in  his  o\\ni  belt  half-way  up  to 
the  yard-arm,  and  there  leave  him  dangling  about. 
This  they  jocularly  called  "  slinging  the  monke}'," 
adopting  the  name  of  a  favorite  sport  often  practised 
by  the  sailors.  Once  they  shut  him  up  in  an  empty 
cask,  and  kept  him  for  several  days  without  food.  A 
little  biscuit  and  water  was  at  length  passed  through 
the  bung-hole,  which  the  poor  wretch  greedily  devour- 
ed, barely  in  time  to  save  himself  from  perishing  of 
hunger  and  thirst.  But  there  are  other  modes  of  clias- 
tisement  too  horrible  and  too  abominable  to  be  told,  all 
of  which  were  practised  upon  this  unfortunate  man,  — 


4i  RAN    AWAY    TO    SKA. 

unfortunate  in  liaving  no  friend,  for  strange  to  say  he 
received  but  little  8}m})atliy  or  commiseration  from 
the  rest  of  that  -wicked  crew.  Though  a  harmless 
creature  enough,  he  was  one  of  those  unfortunates 
whose  habits  pi'event  them  from  making  either  friends 
or  associates. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  poor  fellow's  misery  was  to  me 
an  advantage,  and  shielded  me  from  a  good  deal  of  ill- 
treatment  I  should  otherwise  have  experienced.  lie 
stood  between  me  and  our  common  tyrants,  as  a  sort  of 
breakwater  or  "  buffer,"  upon  Avhich  their  inhumanity 
expended  most  of  its  strength. 

I  pitied  him  for  all  that,  though  I  dared  not  make 
exhibition  either  of  my  pity  or  sympathy.  I  had  need 
of  both  for  myself,  for  although  I  have  said  that  my 
condition  was  improved,  I  was  still  miserable,  —  wretch- 
ed as  I  could  well  be. 

And  why  ?  you  will  ask.  —  Why  wretched  now, 
tvhen  I  had  got  over  most  of  the  first  difficulties,  and 
Was  steadily  progressing  in  the  profession  I  had  so  ar- 
dently desii'ed  to  belong  to  ?  It  is  quite  true  I  was 
progressing,  and  rapidly.  Under  the  tutorship  of  Brace, 
I  was  fast  becoming  a  sailor.  In  less  than  a  week 
after  I  had  made  my  plunge  from  the  royal  rigging,  I 
could  climb  to  the  royal-yard  without  the  slightest  fear, 
—  ay,  I  had  even  in  a  fit  of  bravado  gone  higher,  and 
put  my  hand  upon  the  main-truck  !  In  a  week's  time 
I  knew  how  to  twist  a  gasket,  or  splice  a  rope,  as  neat- 
ly as  some  of  the  sailors  themselves  ;  and  more  than 
once  I  had  gone  aloft  with  the  rest  to  reef  tojisails  in  a 
stiffish  breeze.      This  last  is  accounted  a  feat,  and  I 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA,  45 

had  creditably  performed  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  my 
patron.  Yes,  it  is  quite  true  I  was  speedily  being 
transformed  into  a  sailor ;  and  yet  I  was  far  from  being 
satisfied  with  my  situation,  —  or  rather  I  should  say, 
I  was  miserably  ill-satisfied,  —  perfectly  wretched. 

You  are  surprised,  and  demand  the  reason.  I  shall 
give  it  in  a  few  words. 

I  had  not  been  many  days  on  board  the  Pandora 
when  I  observed  something  which  I  fancied  odd  about 
the  ship.  I  first  noticed  the  manners  and  discipline,  or 
rather  want  of  discipUne,  of  the  crew,  far  different  from 
what  I  had  read  of  in  books,  which  told  of  the  exact 
obedience  and  punctilious  respect  between  those  who 
served  and  those  who  commanded.  It  might  be,  how- 
ever, that  those  of  which  I  had  read  were  ships  of  war, 
and  that  in  others  the  discipline  was  very  different.  As 
I  had  no  previous  knowledge  of  seamen,  or  their  mode 
of  life,  I  concluded  that  the  rude  behavior  of  the  Pan- 
dora's crew  might  be  a  fair  specimen  of  it,  and  I  was 
both  pained  and  humiliated  by  the  conclusion.  It  was 
a  sad  realization  —  or  contradiction  rather  —  of  all  my 
young  dreams  about  the  free,  liappy  life  of  the  sailor, 
and  I  was  disgusted  both  with  him  and  his  life  at  the 
very  outset. 

Another  circumstance  attracted  my  attention  at  the 
same  time,  —  that  was  the  number  of  hands  on  board 
the  Pandora.  She  was  not  a  very  large  ship,  —  not 
over  five  hundred  tons  by  registiy.  In  fact,  she  was 
not  a  "  shi[),"  speaking  technically,  but  a  "  barquii  "  ;  in 
other  words,  a  ship  witli  her  mizzcn-mast  rigged  unlike 
the  other  two,  or  without  a  "  square  "  topsail.     In  this 


46  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

and  a  few  other  points  lies  the  difference  between  a 
barque  and  a  shij),  —  though  the  former  is  also  usually 
smaller. 

The  Pandora  was  large  enough  for  a  barque, — 
carried  a  full  suit  of  sail,  even  to  flying-jibs,  topgallant 
studding-sails,  and  royals ;  and  was  one  of  the  fastest 
sailers  I  have  ever  known.  For  her  size,  however, 
and  the  amount  of  merchandise  she  carried,  I  could  not 
help  fancying  that  she  had  too  large  a  crcAV.  Not  over 
half  of  them  seemed  to  be  employed,  even  while  wear- 
ing ship,  —  and  I  was  convinced  that  half  of  them 
could  have  done  the  work.  I  had  been  told  often  — 
for  I  used  to  make  inquiry  about  such  matters  —  that 
a  crew  of  from  ten  to  twenty  hands  was  suiRcient  for 
a  vessel  of  her  size ;  what  then  could  the  Pandora  want 
with  twice  that  number?  I  counted  them  over  and 
over.  There  were  forty  of  them  all  told,  including  the 
worthies  of  the  quarter-deck  and  "  Snowball "  in  the 
caboose. 

The  circumstance  made  an  impression  upon  me,  — 
somewhat  undefined  it  is  true,  —  but  day  by  day,  as  I 
observed  the  reckless  and  disgusting  behavior  of  both 
officers  and  men,  and  overheard  some  strange  conversa- 
tions, suspicions  of  a  most  painful  character  formed 
themselves  in  my  mind,  and  I  began  to  dread  that  I 
had  got  into  the  company  of  real  ruffians  indeed. 

These  suspicions  were  at  length  confirmed,  and  to  the 
fullest  extent. 

For  several  days  after  setting  sail  the  hatches  had 
been  down  and  covered  with  tarpaulings.  The  Aveather 
had  continued  breezy,  and  as  there  was  little  occasion 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  47 

to  go  below  they  had  been  kept  thus,  though  now  and 
again  a  half-hatch  had  been  lifted  as  something  was 
required  from  the  lower  deck  or  the  hold.  I  myself 
had  not  been  sent  below  on  any  errand,  and  had  never 
seen  the  cargo,  though  I  had  been  told  that  it  consisted 
chiefly  of  brandy,  and  that  we  were  going  with  it  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

After  a  while,  however,  when  the  weather  became 
fine,  or  rather  when  we  had  sailed  into  a  southern 
latitude  where  it  is  nearly  always  fine,  the  tarpaulings 
were  taken  off",  the  hatches  —  both  main  and  fore  — 
were  thi'own  open,  and  all  who  wished  passed  down  to 
the  " '  tween  decks  "  at  their  pleasure. 

Curiosity,  as  much  as  aught  else,  took  me  below; 
and  I  there  saw  what  not  only  confirmed  my  susj^icions, 
but  filled  me  with  disgust  and  horror.  The  cargo, 
which  was  all  doAvn  in  the  hold,  and  none  of  it  on  the 
lower  deck,  certainly  appeared  —  what  it  had  been 
represented  —  a  cargo  of  brandy ;  for  there  were  the 
great  puncheons,  scores  of  them,  in  the  liold.  Besides 
these  there  were  some  boxes  of  merchandise,  a  qtiantity 
of  bar-iron,  and  a  large  pile  of  bags  which  appeared  to 
contain  salt. 

All  this  I  saw  without  any  uneasiness.  It  was  not 
these  that  produced  within  me  the  feeling  of  disgust 
and  horror.  It  was  a  pile  of  manufactured  iron  that 
lay  upon  the  lower  deck ;  iron  wrought  into  villanous 
shapes  and  hideous  forms,  that,  notwithstanding  my 
inexperience,  I  at  once  recognized  as  shacJdes,  manacles^ 
iind  fetters !     What  wanted  the  Pandora  with  these? 

But  the  secret  was  now  out.     I  needed  to  employ 


48  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

conjectures  no  longer.  The  carpenter  was  at  work 
upon  some  strong  pieces  of  oak  timber,  which  he  was 
shaping  into  the  fashion  of  a  grating.  I  jjerceived  that 
it  was  intended  for  the  hatchway. 

I  needed  no  more  light.  I  had  read  of  the  horrors 
of  the  "middle  passage."  I  recognized  the  intention 
of  the  carpenter's  job.  I  no  longer  doubted  that  the 
Pandora  was  a  slaver  ! 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  49 


CHAPTER    IX. 


Yes,  —  beyond  a  doubt  I  was  on  board  a  slave-ship, 
• — one  regularly  fitted  up  for  the  inhuman  traffic, — 
manned  for  it.  I  might  also  say  armed,  —  for  although 
there  Avere  no  cannon,  I  observed  a  large  number  of 
muskets,  cutlasses,  and  pistols,  tliat  had  been  brought 
upon  the  deck  from  some  secret  hiding-place,  and  dis- 
tributed to  the  men  to  be  cleaned  and  put  in  order. 
From  all  this  it  was  plain  that  the  Pandora  was  bent 
upon  some  desperate  enterprise,  and  although  she  might 
not  sustain  a  combat  with  the  smallest  vessel  of  war, 
she  was  determined  that  no  mere  boat's  crew  should 
capture  and  rob  her  of  her  human  freight.  But  it  was 
to  her  sails  more  than  to  her  armor  that  the  Pandora 
trusted  for  success ;  and,  indeed,  built  and  rigged  as  she 
was,  few  ships  of  war  could  have  overhauled  her  in 
open  water,  and  with  a  fair  wind. 

I  say  that  I  no  longer  doubted  of  her  true  character. 
Indeed,  the  people  on  board  no  long(;r  made  a  secret  of 
it.  On  the  contrary,  they  appeare<l  to  glory  in  the 
occupation,  regarding  it  in  the  light  of  achievement  and 
enterprise.  Over  their  cups  they  sang  songs  in  which 
the  "bold  slaver"  and  his  '"jolly  crew"  wei'e  made  to 
5 


60  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

play  the  heroic,  and  many  a  coarse  jest  was  uttered 
relating  to  the  "  black-skinned  cargo." 

We  had  now  passed  to  the  southward  of  Gibraltar 
Straits,  and  were  sailing  in  a  track  Avhere  there  would 
be  less  likelihood  of  falling  in  with  English  men-of-wai*. 
The  cruisers,  whose  sole  business  it  is  to  look  after  the 
slave-trade,  would  be  found  much  farther  south,  and 
along  the  coasts  where  slaves  are  usually  shipped ;  and 
as  there  was  no  fear  of  meeting  with  them  for  some 
days  to  come,  the  Pandora's  crew  had  little  else  to  do 
than  enjoy  themselves.  A  constant  carousal,  therefore,' 
was  kept  up,  and  drinking,  singing,  dancing,  and  "  sky- 
larking" were  practised  from  morning  to  night. 

You  may  be  surprised  to  know  that  a  ship  so  evident- 
ly fitted  out  for  slave-traffic  could  have  thus  openly  and 
directly  sailed  out  of  a  British  port.  But  it  is  to  be 
remembered  that  the  period  of  which  I  am  writing  was 
many  years  ago ;  although  so  far  as  that  goes,  it  would 
be  no  anachronism  to  lay  the  scene  of  my  narrative  in 
the  year  1857.  Many  a  slave-ship  has  sailed  from 
British  ports  in  this  very  year,  and  with  all  our  boasted 
efforts  to  check  the  slave-trade  it  will  be  found  that  as 
large  a  proportion  of  British  subjects  are  at  present 
engaged  in  this  neffirious  traffic  as  of  any  other  nation. 
The  attempt  to  put  down  the  African  slave-trade  has 
been  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  gigantic  sham.  Not 
one  of  the  governments  who  have  engaged  in  this 
scheme  of  philantlyopy  have  had  more  than  a  luke- 
warm interest  in  the  matter,  and  the  puny  effiarts  they 
have  made  have  been  moi-e  for  the  purpose  of  pacify- 
ing a  few  clamorous  philanthropists,  than  with  a  reiil 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  51 

design  to  stop  the  liorrid  traifie.  For  one  slave-ship 
that  is  captured,  at  least  twenty  pass  free,  landing  their 
emaciated  thousands  upon  the  shores  of  the  Western 
World.  Nay,  —  worse  than  ever,  —  the  tyrant  who, 
with  railroad  speed,  is  demoralizing  the  millions  of 
France,  lends  his  ill-gotten  power  to  re-establish  this 
barter  of  human  souls,  and  the  slave-trade  will  erelong 
flourish  as  luxuriantly  as  ever. 

It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter  for  Great  Britain 
long  since  to  have  crushed  out  every  vestige  of  the 
slave-trade,  even  without  adding  one  item  to  her  expen- 
diture. What  can  be  more  absurd  than  the  payment 
of  £  300,000  to  Portuguese  slave-mei-chants  to  induce 
them  to  abandon  the  traffic  in  slaves  ?  Wliy,  it  is  a 
positive  premium  upon  crime,  —  an  indemnity  for  giv- 
ing up  the  trade  of  pillage  and  murder !  I  say  nothing 
would  have  been  easier  than  for  England  to  have  put 
an  end  to  the  very  existence  of  this  horror  years  ago. 
It  Avould  only  have  required  her  to  have  acted  with 
more  eai*nestness,  and  a  little  more  energy,  —  to  have 
declared  that  a  slave-dealer  was  a  pirate,  and  to  have 
dealt  witli  him  accordingly,  —  that  is,  hanged  liim  and 
his  crew  when  taken  from  the  yard-arm  of  their  ship, 
—  and  there  was  not  a  nation  in  tlie  world  that  would 
have  dared  to  raise  voice  against  such  a  course.  Indeed, 
it  is  a  perfect  absurdity  to  hang  a  pirate  and  let  a 
slaver  escape ;  for  if  it  be  admitted  that  a  black  man's 
life  is  of  as  much  value  as  a  white  man's,  then  is  the 
slaver  doubly  a  murderer,  for  it  is  a  Avell-known  fact^ 
that  out  of  every  slave-cargo  that  crosses  the  Atlantic, 
full  one  third  become  victims  of  the  middle  passage. 


52  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

It  is,  therefore,  a  positive  absurdity  to  treat  the  captain 
and  crew  of  a  slave-ship  in  any  milder  way  than  the 
captain  and  crew  of  a  pirate-ship  ;  and  if  a  like  meas- 
ure of  justice  had  been  constantly  served  out  to  both,  it 
is  but  natural  to  suppose  that  slavers  would  now  have 
been  as  scarce  as  pirates  are,  if  not  a  good  deal  scarcer. 
How  the  wiseacres  who  legislate  for  the  world  can  make 
a  distinction  between  the  two  sorts  of  ruffians  is  beyond 
my  logic  to  understand,  and  why  a  slaver  should  not  be 
hanged  as  soon  as  caught  is  equally  a  puzzle  to  me. 

In  years  past  this  might  have  been  done,  and  the 
slave-trade  crushed  completely.  It  will  be  more  diffi- 
cult now,  since  the  despot  of  France  has  put  the  stamp 
of  his  license  on  the  inhuman  trade,  and  the  slave- 
dealer  is  no  longer  an  outlaw.  It  would  be  a  very 
diffi^rent  affiiir  to  hang  to  the  yard-arm  some  French 
ruffian,  bearing  liis  commission  to  buy  souls  and  bodies, 
and  under  the  signature  of  imperial  majesty. 

Alas !  alas !  the  world  goes  back ;  civilization  re- 
cedes,—  humanity  has  lost  its  chance,  and  the  slave- 
trade  goes  on  as  briskly  as  ever ! 

I  was  too  young  at  the  time  of  my  first  voyage  to 
moi'alize  in  this  philosophic  manner ;  but  for  all  that  I 
had  imbibed  a  thorough  disgust  for  the  slave-trade,  as, 
indeed,  most  of  my  countrjTnen  had  done.  The  period 
of  which  I  am  speaking  was  that  when,  by  the  laudable 
effiarts  of  Wilbei-force  and  other  great  philanthropists, 
our  country  had  just  set  before  the  world  that  noblest 
example  on  record,  —  the  payment  of  twenty  millions 
of  sterling  pounds  in  the  cause  of  humanity.  All  gloiy 
to  those  who  took  part  in  the  generous  subscription  I 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  53- 

Young  as  I  "vvas,  I,  like  other?,  had  heard  much  of  the 
horrors  and  crueUies  of  the  slave-trade,  for  at  that 
time  these  were  brought  prominentlj  before  the  pubhc 
of  England. 

Fancy,  then,  the  misery  I  experienced  at  finding 
myself  on  board  a  ship  actually  engaged  in  this  nefarious 
traffic,  —  associating  with  the  very  men  against  whom 
I  had  conceived  such  antipathy  and  disgust,  —  in  fact, 
myself  forming  one  of  the  crew  ! 

I  cannot  describe  the  wretchedness  that  came  over 
me. 

It  is  possible  I  should  have  been  more  shocked  had 
I  made  the  discovery  all  at  once,  but  I  did  not.  The 
knowledge  came  upon  me  by  degrees,  and  I  had  long 
been  suspicious  before  I  became  certain.  Moreover, 
harassed  as  I  had  been  by  personal  ill-treatment  and 
other  cares,  I  did  not  so  keenly  feel  the  horror  of  my 
situation.  Lideed,  I  had  begun  to  fancy  that  I  had 
got  among  real  pirates,  for  these  gentry  were  not  un- 
common at  the  time,  and  I  am  certain  a  gang  of  pica- 
roons would  not  have  been  one  whit  more  vulgar  and 
brutal  than  were  the  crew  of  the  Pandora.  It  was 
rather  a  relief,  therefore,  to  know  they  wex'C  not  pirates, 
—  not  that  their  business  was  any  better,  —  but  I  had 
the  idea  that  it  would  be  easier  to  get  free  from  their 
companionship ;  which  purpose  I  intended  to  carry  out 
the  very  first  opportunity  that  offered  itself. 

It  was  about  the  accomplishment  of  this  design  that 

I  now  set  myself  to  thinking  whenever  I  had  a  moment 

of  leisure ;  and,  verily,  the  prospect  was  an  ajipalling 

one.     It  might  be  long  mouths  before  I  should  have 

5* 


54  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

the  slightest  chance  of  escaping  from  that  horrid  ship, 
—  months !  ay,  it  might  be  years !  It  was  no  longer 
any  articles  of  indenture  that  I  dreaded,  for  I  now 
perceived  that  this  had  been  all  a  sham,  since  I  could 
not  be  legally  bound  to  a  service  not  lawful  in  itself. 
No,  it  was  not  anything  of  this  sort  I  had  to  fear.  My 
apprehensions  were  simply  that  for  months  —  perhaps 
years  —  I  might  never  find  an  opportunity  of  escapiug 
from  the  control  of  the  fiends  into  whose  hands  I  had 
so  unwittingly  trusted  myself. 

Where  was  I  to  make  my  escape?  The  Pandora 
was  going  to  the  coast  of  Africa  for  slaves  ;  I  could  not 
run  away  while  there.  There  were  -no  authorities  to 
whom  I  could  appeal,  or  who  could  hold  me  against 
the  claims  of  the  captain.  Those  with  whom  we 
should  be  in  communication  would  be  either  the  native 
kings  or  the  vile  slave-factors,  —  both  of  whom  would 
only  deliver  me  up  again,  and  glory  in  doing  so,  to 
gratify  my  tyrant.  Should  I  run  off  and  seek  shelter 
in  the  woods  ?  There  I  must  either  perish  from  hunger, 
thirst,  or  be  torn  to  pieces  by  beasts  of  prey,  —  which 
are  numerous  on  the  slave-trading  coasts.  One  or 
other  of  these  would  be  my  fate,  or  else  I  should  be 
captured  by  the  savage  natives,  perhaps  murdered  by 
them,  —  or  worse,  kept  in  horrid  bondage  for  life,  the 
slave  of  some  brutal  negro.  O,  it  was  a  di-ead  pros- 
pect! 

Then  in  my  thoughts  I  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and 
considered  the  chances  of  escape  that  might  offer  upon 
the  other  side.  The  Pandora  would  no  doubt  proceed 
with  her  cargo  to  Brazil,  or  some  of  the  West  India 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  55 

islands.  What  hope  then  ?  She  would  necessarily  act 
in  a,  clandestine  manner  while  discharging  her  freight. 
It  would  be  done  under  cover  of  the  night,  on  some 
desert  coast,  far  from  a  city  or  even  a  seaport,  and,  in 
fear  of  the  cruisers,  there  would  be  great  haste.  A 
sino;le  night  would  suffice  to  land  her  smuo;";led  carjjo 
of  human  souls,  and  in  the  morning  she  would  be  off 
again,  —  perhaps  on  a  fresh  triji  of  a  similar  kind. 
There  might  be  no  opportunity  whatever  for  me  to  go 
ashore,  —  in  fact,  it  was  not  likely  there  would  he,  — 
although  I  would  not  there  have  scrupled  to  take  to  the 
woods,  trusting  to  God  to  preserve  me. 

The  more  I  reflected,  the  more  was  I  convinced  that 
my  escape  from  what  now  appeared  to  m^  no  better 
than  a  floating  prison,  would  be  an  extremely  difficult 
task,  —  almost  hopeless.  O,  it  was  a  di'ead  prospect 
tliat  lay  before  me  ! 

Would  that  we  might  encounter  some  British  cruiser ! 
I  heartily  hoped  that  some  one  might  see  and  pursue 
us.  It  would  have  given  me  joy  to  have  heai-d  the 
shot  rattling  through  the  spars,  and  crashing  into  the 
sides  of  the  Pandora ! 


56  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    X. 


Of  course  I  did  not  give  utterance  to  these  sentiments 
before  any  of  the  Pandora's  crew.  That  would  have 
led  me  into  worse  trouble  than  ever.  Even  Brace 
could  not  have  protected  me  had  I  given  expression  to 
the  disgust  with  which  my  new  associates  had  inspired 
me,  and  I  acted  only  with  the  ordinary  instinct  of 
prudence  when  I  held  my  tongue  and  pretended  not 
to  notice  those  matters  that  were  queer.  Withal,  I 
could  not  altogether  dissemble.  My  face  might  have 
told  tales  upon  me ;  for  more  than  once  I  was  taken 
to  task  by  my  ruffian  companions,  Avho  jeered  me 
for  my  sci'uples,  calling  me  "  greenhorn,"  "  land-lubber," 
"  son  of  a  gun,"  "  son  of  a  sea-cook,"  and  other  like 
contemptuous  appellations,  of  which,  among  sailors, 
there  is  an  extensive  vocabulary.  Had  they  knowTi 
the  full  measure  of  contempt  in  which  I  had  held  them, 
they  would  scarce  have  been  satisfied  by  giving  me 
nicknames  only.  I  should  have  had  blows  along  with 
them ;  but  I  took  care  to  hide  the  dark  thoughts  that 
were  passing  in  my  bosom. 

I  was  determined,  however,  to  have  an  explanation 
with  Brace,  and  ask  his  advice.  I  knew  that  I  could 
trust  him,  but  it  was  a  delicate  point ;  and  I  resolved 


KAN    AWAY    TO    SKA.  57 

to  approach  liim  with  caution.  He  might  be  angry 
with  me ;  for  he,  too,  was  engaged  in  the  same  nefarious 
companionship.  He  might  be  sensitive,  and  reproach 
me  for  a  meddler. 

And  yet  I  fancied  he  would  not.  One  or  two  ex- 
pressions I  had  heard  him  drop  casually,  had  led  me 
to  the  belief  that  Brace  was  tired  of  the  hfe  he  was 
leading,  —  that  he,  too,  was  discontented  with  such  a 
lot ;  and  that  some  harsh  fate  had  conducted  him  into 
it.  I  hoped  that  it  was  so ;  for  I  had  grown  greatly 
interested  in  this  fine  man.  I  had  daily  evidence  that 
he  was  far  different  from  his  associates,  —  not  hardened 
and  wicked  as  they.  Though  under  the  influence  of 
association  men  gradually  assume  the  tone  of  the  ma- 
jority, yet  Brace  had  a  will  and  a  way  of  his  own,  — 
there  was  a  sort  of  moral  idiosyncrasy  about  him  that 
rendered  liim  unlike  the  rest,  and  which  he  appeared 
to  preserve,  notwithstanding  the  constant  contamination 
to  which  he  was  exposed  by  his  companionship  with 
such  fellows.  Observing  this,  I  resolved  to  make  kno^\'n 
to  him  the  cause  of  my  wretchedness,  and  to  obtam  his 
advice  as  to  how  I  should  act. 

An  opportunity  soon  offered,  —  a  chance  of  conversing 
with  him  imheard  by  the  rest  of  the  crew. 

There  is  a  pleasant  place  out  upon  the  bowsprit,  par- 
ticularly when  the  foretop-mast  stay -sail  is  hauled  down, 
and  lying  along  the  spar.  There  two  or  three  persons 
may  sit  or  recline  upon  the  canvas,  and  talk  over  their 
secrets  without  much  risk  of  being  overheard.  The 
wind  is  seldom  dead  ahead,  but  the  contrary ;  and  the 
voices  are  borne  forward  or  far  over  the  sea,  instead  of 


58  RAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA. 

being  carried  back  to  the  ears  of  the  crew.  A  medita- 
tive sailor  sometimes  seeks  this  little  solitude,  and  upon 
emigrant  ships  some  of  the  more  daring  of  the  deck- 
passengers  often  climb  up  there,  —  for  it  requires  a 
little  boldness  to  go  so  high  aloft  over  the  water,  —  and' 
pour  into  one  another's  ears  the  intended  programme  of 
their  trans-oceanic  life. 

Brace  had  a  liking  for  this  jilace ;  and  often  about 
twilight  he  used  to  steal  up  alone,  and  sit  by  himself, 
either  to  smoke  his  pipe  or  give  way  to  meditation. 

I  wished  to  be  his  companion,  but  at  first  I  did  not 
venture  to  disturb  him,  lest  he  might  deem  it  an  intru- 
sion. I  took  courage  after  a  time,  and  joined  him  upon 
his  perch.  I  saw  that  he  was  not  dissatisfied,  —  on  the 
contrary,  he  seemed  pleased  with  my  companionship. 

One  evening  I  followed  him  up  as  usual,  resolved  to 
reveal  to  him  the  thoughts  that  were  troubling  me. 

"  Ben ! "  I  said,  in  the  familiar  style  in  which  all 
sailors  addi-ess  each  other.     "  Ben  ! " 

"  Well,  my  lad ;  what  be  it  ?  " 

He  saw  I  had  something  to  communicate,  and  re- 
mained attentively  listening. 

"  What  is  this  ship  ?  "  I  asked  after  a  pause. 

"  She  an't  a  ship  at  all,  my  boy,  —  she  be  a  barque." 

"  But  what  is  she  ?  " 

"  Why,  an't  I  told  you  she  be  a  barque." 

"  But  what  sort,  I  want  to  know  ?  " 

"  Why,  in  course,  a  regular  rigged  barque,  —  ye  see 
if  she  were  a  ship  the  mizzcn-mast  yonder  'ud  be  carryin' 
squars'ls  aloft,  which  she  don't  do  as  ye  see,  —  there- 
fore she 's  a  barque  and  not  a  ship." 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  59 

"But,  Ben,  I  know  all  that,  for  jou  have  already 
explained  to  me  the  difference  between  a  slii})  and  a 
barque.  "Wliat  I  wish  to  ascertain  is  what  kind  of  a 
vessel  she  is  ?  " 

"  Oh !  what  kind  ;  that 's  what  you  're  after.  Well, 
then,  I  should  say  a  faster  sailer  never  set  figure-head 
to  the  sea ;  she 's  got  just  one  fault,  she  be  a  little  too 
crank  for  my  liking,  and  pitches  too  much  in  a  swell. 
If  she 's  not  kept  in  plenty  o'  ballast,  I  won't  wonder 
to  see  them  masts  walk  overboard  one  of  these  days." 

"  You  won't  be  offended  at  me,  Ben ;  all  this  you  've 
told  me  before,  —  it  is  not  what  I  wish  to  know." 

"And  what  the  old  scratch  do  you  want  to  know? 
Be  hanged,  my  lad,  if  you  don't  puzzle  me." 

"Answer  me,  Ben;  tell  me  the  truth.  Is  she  a 
merchant-vessel  ?  " 

"  Oho  !  that 's  what  you  're  di-iving  at !  "Well,  that 
depends  upon  what  you  may  call  a  merchant-vessel. 
There  be  many  sorts  o'  goods  that  comes  under  the 
name  o'  merchandise.  Some  ships  carry  one  sort,  and 
some  another." 

"What  sort  does  the  Pandora  carry?"  asked  I, 
interrupting  him. 

As  I  put  the  question,  I  laid  my  hand  gently  upon 
the  arm  of  the  sailor,  and  looked  earnestly  in  his  face 
as  I  waited  his  reply.  ', 

He  hesitated  for  a  moment,  until  he  saw  that  he 
could  not  well  evade  giving  me  an  answer,  and  then 
answered  with  the  simple  word, — 
"  Niggers." 

"  It  'ud  be  no  use  playin'  hide  and  seek  about  it,  lad. 


60  UAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

You  must  'a  found  it  out  in  time,  —  the  Pandora 's  no 
merchantman,  —  she  be  a  trader,  —  a  regular  slaver" 

"  O  Ben ! "  I  said,  appealingly,  "  is  it  not  a  terrible 
life  to  lead?" 

"Well,  it's  not  the  life  for  you,  my  boy,  and  I'm 
sorry  you've  got  into  such  hands.  I  saw  you  when 
you  first  corned  aboard,  and  would  have  put  a  word  in 
your  ears,  if  I  had  got  the  chance ;  but  the  old  shark 
nailed  you  afore  I  could  get  speaking  to  you.  He 
wanted  a  boy  and  was  determined  to  have  you.  Wlien 
you  corned  the  second  time,  I  was  below  in  my  bunk, 
and  in  course  you  were  brought  off  with  us.  No,  little 
"Will,  it 's  not  the  life  for  you,  lad." 

"  And  for  you,  Ben  ?  '* 

"Avast  there,  my  youngster!  Well,  I  Avon't  be 
angry  with  you,  it 's  but  nat'ral  you  should  thmk  so. 
Maybe  I  'm  not  so  bad  as  you  think  me." 

"  I  don't  think  you  bad,  Ben ;  quite  the  contrary. 
It  is  for  that  reason  I  spoke  as  I  did.  I  think  you 
very  different  from  the  others.     I  — " 

"  Maybe  you  're  right,  boy ;  maybe  not.  I  warn't 
always  bad.  I  was  once  like  yourself  and  did  n't  care 
for  such  as  these ;  but  there  are  tyrants  in  the  world 
as  makes  men  bad,  and  they  've  made  me." 

Here  the  sailor  paused  and  uttered  a  sigh,  while  an 
expression  of  extreme  bitterness  passed  over  his  face ; 
some  harsh  recollection  was  stirring  within  him. 

"  How,  Ben  ?  "  I  ventured  to  ask.  "  I  cannot  believe 
it.  They  may  have  made  you  unhappy,  but  not  wicked. 
I  know  you  are  not." 

"  You  ai-e  kind,  little  Will,  to  say  this  to  me.     You 


KAN    AWAY    TO    SI':A.  01 

are  very  kind,  my  boy ;  you  make  me  feel  as  I  once 
did  feel,  and  I'll  tell  you  all.  Listen!  and  I'll  tell 
you  all  about  it." 

There  Avas  a  tear  in  the  sailor's  eye,  the  first  he  had 
shed  for  many  a  long  year.  Upon  his  weather-bronzed 
face  I  observed  a  mingled  expression  of  tenderness  and 
sadness. 

I  placed  myself  to  listen  attentively. 

"  It 's  a  short  story,"  he  continued,  "  and  won't  take 
many  words.  I  warn't  always  what  I  am  now.  No, 
I  was  a  man-o'-war's-man  for  many  a  year,  and,  though 
I  say  it  myself,  there  warn't  many  in  the  service  as 
knew  their  duty  or  did  it  better.  But  aU  that  went  for 
nothing.  It  was  at  Spithead,  —  we  were  lying  there 
with  the  fleet,  and  I  chanced  to  run  foul  o'  the  master's- 
mate  o'  our  ship.  It  was  all  about  a  bit  o'  lass  that 
we  met  ashore,  who  was  my  sweetheart.  He  was  a- 
makin'  too  free  with  her,  and  my  blood  got  up.  I 
could  n't  help  it,  and  I  threatened  him,  —  only  threat- 
ened him.  There 's  what  I  got  ibr  it.  Look  there, 
little  Will ! " 

As  the  sailor  finished  speaking,  he  pulled  off  his 
jacket,  and  raised  his  shirt  over  his  shoulders.  I  per- 
ceived across  his  back,  and  up  and  down,  and  in  every 
direction,  a  complete  network  of  long  scars,  —  the  scars 
of  old  wales,  —  which  the  "  cats  "  had  mad^  upon  his 
flesh. 

"  Now,  my  lad,  you  know  why  I  'm  driven  to  a  ship 
like  this.  In  course  I  desarted  the  navy,  and  after- 
wards tried  it  in  the  merchant-sai-vice  ;  but  go  where 
I  would,  I  carried  the  Cain-mark  along  with  me,  and 
6 


62  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

somehow  or  other  it  always  came  out,  and  I  could  n't 
stand  it.  Here  I  'm  not  the  odd  sheep  in  the  flock. 
Among  the  fellows  below  there,  there 's  many  a  back 
as  well  striped  as  mine." 

Ben  ceased  speaking,  and  I,  impressed  with  the  brief 
history  of  his  wrongs,  remained  for  some  time  silent. 

After  a  while  I  again  ventured  to  broach  the  subject 
that  lay  nearest  my  heart. 

"  But,  Ben,"  said  I,  "  this  is  a  horrid  kind  of  hfe  to 
lead  ;  surely  you  do  not  intend  to  continue  it  ?  " 

A  shake  of  the  head  was  all  the  answer  I  received. 

"I  could  not  endure  it,"  I  continued;  "I  have  re- 
solved to  make  my  escape  whenever  an  oj^portunity 
offers.     Surely  you  will  aid  me  ?  " 

"  Both  you  and  myself,  lad." 

"  0, 1  am  so  pleased !  " 

"  Yes,"  continued  he,  "  I  am  tired  of  it,  too.     I  have ' 
been  thinking  how  I  can  leave  it.    This  I  'm  detei-mined 
shaU   be   my  last  voyage,  —  leastwise,  in   this  trade. 
I  've  been  thinking,  my  boy,  of  giving  'em  the  slip,  and 
taking  you  along  with  me." 

"  O,  how  glad  I  shall  be  !     When  may  we  go  ?  " 

"  There  lies  the  bother,  my  lad ;  you  see  there  's  no 
place  in  all  Africa  where  we  could  get  off,  or,  if  we 
did,  it  would  only  be  to  wander  among  these  black 
savages,  and  likely  enough  get  murdered  by  them. 
No;  we  can't  get  clear  of  the  Pandora  this  side  the 
Atlantic.  "We  must  stick  by  her,  and  make  the  voyage ; 
and  on  the  far  side  we  '11  manage  it,  I  wai-rant  you." 

"  'T  is  a  long  time  to  suffer." 

"  You  an't  a-going  to  suffer,  —  I  '11  take  care  o'  that 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  63 

but  keep  quiet,  and  don't  show  that  you  are  not  con- 
tented enough.  Not  a  word  to  anybody  about  what 's 
been  said  tliis  night,  —  not  a  word,  my  lad  ! " 

I  promised  faithfully  to  observe  the  directions  given, 
and,  as  Brace  was  now  called  to  his  watch  upon  deck, 
I  went  do^vn  along  with  him,  feeling  lighter  at  heart 
than  I  had  done  since  I  first  set  foot  on  board  the 
Pandora. 


64  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


I  NEED  not  detail  the  incidents  tliat  occurred  during 
the  remainder  of  our  run  to  tlie  African  coast.  There 
is  not  much  variety  in  a  journey  upon  the  sea.  A 
shoal  of  porpoises,  —  a  whale  or  two,  —  some  flying- 
fish,  —  a  few  species  of  sea-birds,  —  sharks  and  dol- 
phins, —  are  nearly  all  the  living  creatures  that  are 
ever  seen,  even  upon  the  longest  voyages.  Most  of 
our  course  lay  due  southward,  and  directly  across  the 
northern  tropic,  and,  of  course,  the  weather  was  hot 
nearly  all  the  time,  —  so  hot  that  the  pitch  oozed  out 
from  the  seams  of  the  planking,  and  the  soles  of  our 
shoes  parted  with  a  creaking  noise  every  step  we  took 
over  the  deck. 

We  Avere  in  sight  of  several  sail,  —  most  of  them 
were  Lidiamen,  —  some  outward  bomad  from  England, 
and  some  on  their  way  home  from  the  East.  A  few 
smaller  craft  we  saw,  brigs,  and  a  barque  or  two,  and, 
as  they  carried  English  colors,  we  concluded  they  were 
traders  to  the  Cape,  or  Algoa  Bay.  None  of  them  — 
neither  these  nor  the  East  Indiamen  —  seemed  desi- 
rous of  cultivating  the  Pandora's  acquaintance  ;  and 
all,  in  meeting  or  passing,  allowed  her  a  "  wide  berth." 
Of  course,  the  slaver  was  equally  desirous  of  avoid- 


RAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  bO 

ing  them  ;  and,  tlierefure,  none  of  these  vessels  were 
"  spoken." 

There  was  one  ship,  however,  that  did  not  appear  to 
shun  us.  On  the  contrary,  the  moment  tlie  Pandora 
came  in  sii:;lit  of  lier,  the  strange  A'essel  changed  from 
the  course  in  which  she  liad  been  steering,  and  with  all 
sail  set  came  ruiming  towards  us.  As  we  were  now  in 
the  Gulf  of  Guinea,  and  about  a  hundred  miles  or  so 
from  the  Gold-coast,  the  probability  was  that  the  vessel 
that  had  so  boldly  headed  towards  us  was  a  cruiser, 
and,  consequently,  the  very  sort  of  craft  that  the  Pan- 
dora's people  did  not  desire  to  fall  in  Avith.  Indeed, 
this  point  was  soon  settled  beyond  dispute  ;  for  the  be- 
havior of  the  strange  vessel,  and  her  peculiar  rig,  — 
which  was  that  of  a  cutter,  —  combined  with  the  fact  of 
so  small  a  craft  sailing  boldly  towards  a  barque  so  large 
as  the  Pandora,  all  went  to  prove  that  she  was  either  a 
war-cruiser  in  search  of  slave-ships,  or  a  pu-ate,  —  iu 
either  case,  a  vessel  much  better  manned  and  armed 
than  the  Pandora. 

It  was  hardly  probable  that  the  cutter  was  a  pirate  ; 
though,  had  it  been  upon  a  ditierent  part  of  the  ocean, 
it  would  have  been  probable  enough,  for  at  that  time 
pirates  were  by  no  means  as  scarce  as  they  are  at  pres- 
ent. But  it  Avas  not  a  faAorite  locality  with  pirates. 
The  merchant-craft  that  traded  along  this  part  of  the 
coast  Avere  usually  small  vessels  Avith  insignificant  car- 
goes, and,  Avhen  outAvard  bound,  carried  only  sucli  bulky 
articles  as  salt,  iron,  and  rum,  with  toys  and  trinkets ; 
Avhich,  though  sufficiently  attractive  to  the  black  sav- 
ages of  Dahomey  and  Ashautee,  Avere  not  the  sort  of 
6* 


66  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

merchandise  that  pirates  cared  to  pick  up.  They  were 
sometimes  more  richly  freighted  in  their  homeward 
trip,  with  gold-dust  and  elephants*  teeth,  and  pirates 
could  find  a  market  for  these.  There  were  still  some 
of  these  freebooters  upon  the  African  coast,  for  there 
they  could  find  many  a  secure  rendezvous  ;  but  they 
were  never  so  numerous  there  as  in  the  West  Indies  and 
elsewhere.  Had  the  cutter  been  met  with  at  an  earlier 
period,  —  that  is,  while  we  were  farther  out  on  the 
Atlantic,  and  upon  the  track  of  the  Cape  traders  and  In- 
dianien,  —  then  the  people  of  the  Pandora  might  have 
taken  her  for  a  pirate,  and  very  probably  would  have 
taken  less  trouble  to  get  out  of  her  way,  —  for  these 
gentry  were  far  less  afraid  of  a  pirate  than  of  an  honest 
war-ship.  They  knew  that  the  pirates  looked  upon 
traders  of  their  kind  as  kindred  spirits,  —  almost  birds 
of  the  same  feather ;  and  that,  therefore,  they  would 
have  but  little  to  fear  from  their  brother  outlaws.  They 
knew,  moreover,  that  they  had  nothing  to  lose  but  a 
fcAV  casks  of  brandy  and  rum ;  the  iron,  salt,  and  toys, 
which  formed  the  remainder  of  the  Pandora's  cargo, 
being  goods  that  a  pirate  would  not  be  bothered  with. 
The  brandy  and  rum  would  be  all  he  would  be  likely 
to  rob  them  of,  and  of  these  there  were  only  some  half- 
dozen  puncheons,  —  for  I  had  ascertained  that  most 
of  the  great  casks  in  the  hold  were  water-butts  filled 
with  water,  and  of  course  intended  to  supply  the  living 
cargo  on  their  voyage  across  the  Atlantic. 

A  pirate,  therefore,  reasoned  the  crew  of  the  Pan- 
dora, would  only  rob  them  of  their  six  puncheons  of 
spirits,  and  that  would  be  all.     Perhaps  he  might  take 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  G7 

a  fancy  to  the  tine  barque,  and  insist  on  pressing  some 
of  them  into  liis  service.  That  would  be  a  misfortune 
to  the  owners  ;  but  as  for  the  crew  themselves,  I  was 
under  the  belief  that  very  few  of  them  would  have 
required  "  pressing."  Most  of  them  would  have  been 
AvilUng  enough  to  take  a  hand  at  buccaneering,  or  any 
other  sort  of  villany. 

As  the  cutter  drew  near,  however,  —  for  she  was 
drawing  near,  —  it  became  evident  she  was  no  pirate. 
Indeed,  she  made  no  secret  of  what  she  was,  for  the 
British  flag  was  run  out  to  her  peak,  at  once  proclaim- 
ing her  a  British  vessel  of  war.  It  is  true  a  pirate 
might  have  used  that  signal  for  a  decoy ;  but,  consider- 
ing the  time  and  place,  it  was  not  likely ;  and  the 
Pandora's  people  did  not  entertain  the  thought  of  its 
being  one.  The  cutter  was  a  British  cruiser  beyond 
doubt.     That  was  their  full  belief  and  conviction. 

No  flag  could  have  been  more  unwelcome  to  the 
eyes  of  the  slaver's  crew  than  the  one  n"ow  spread  to 
the  breeze  from  the  peak  of  the  cutter's  mainsail.  Had 
it  been  the  Portuguese  ensign,  or  the  Spanish,  or  even 
the  French,  they  Avould  have  dreaded  it  less  ;  for,  not- 
withstanding the  promises  of  these  nations  to  aid  in 
putting  a  stop  to  the  slave-trade,  it  is  well  known  that 
they  have  acted  with  great  lukewarmness  in  the  matter. 
Indeed,  worse  than  that,  —  since  the  governors  of  their 
Transatlantic  possessions  —  even  the  captains  of  their 
Bhijis  of  war  —  have  been  known,  not  only  to  connive 
at  the  slave-traffic,  but  actually  to  assist  in  carrying  it 
on !  Had  it  been  a  ship  of  one  of  these  nations,  the 
Pandora  would  have  been  less   desirous  of  escaping 


68  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

from  her.  She  would  have  been  brouglit  to,  perliaps  ; 
and  after  a  slight  examination  —  with  a  word  or  two 
of  secret  intelligence  between  her  captain  and  the  com- 
mander of  the  war-vessel  —  allowed  to  go  about  her 
business  ;  and  this  would  have  ended  the  affair.  But 
no  such  an  easy  conge  would  be  given  by  the  com- 
mandant of  a  British  cutter ;  for,  to  the  honor  of  the 
British  officers  be  it  said,  that  in  all  such  cases  they 
have  performed  their  duty,  and  carried  out  with  energy 
the  designs  of  their  government. 

The  crew  of  the  barque,  therefore,  on  perceiving  that 
it  was  in  reality  a  British  cruiser  that  was  in  tlie  wake, 
were  put  into  the  greatest  confusion  and  trouble.  I 
say  in  the  loalce,  for  long  since  the  Pandora  had  turned 
stern  towards  the  strange  vessel,  and  was  making  all 
sail  to  escape. 

It  was  evident  that  the  cutter  was  a  fast  sailer,  and 
knew  it,  —  else  she  would  have  used  more  strategy  in 
making  her  first  approach.  On  the  contrary,  she  had 
taken  no  pains  whatever  to  conceal  her  character ;  but, 
setting  her  head  right  for  the  Pandora,  had  given  chase 
at  once.  The  barque  had  been  equally  prompt  in 
showing  her  stern ;  and  for  some  hours  a  regular  tail- 
on-end  rim  was  kept  up  between  the  two  vessels. 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  69 


CHAPTER    XII. 


For  my  part,  I  awaited  the  result  with  the  deepest 
interest.  I  watched  the  two  ships  as  they  sped ;  and, 
with  my  eye,  kept  constantly  measuring  the  sea  between 
them.  My  heart  was  full  of  hope,  and  beat  jo}-fully  as 
I  observed  that  the  distance  was  gradually  decreasing, 
and  the  cutter  each  minute  seemed  larger  upon  the 
waves. 

There  was  but  one  drawback  to  the  exultation  which 
I  felt,  —  and  that  was  a  serious  one.  Brace  had  con- 
fessed to  me  that  he  was  a  deserter  from  the  Royal 
Navy.  If  taken  he  might  be  recognized.  The  stripes 
upon  his  back  would  lead  to  suspicion,  —  for  there  are 
brands  almost  peculiar  to  the  navy,  —  j^roofs  of  his 
desertion  would  be  sought,  perhaps  easily  obtained,  — 
and  tlien  I  knew  the  terrible  punishment  he  would 
have  to  undergo.  For  my  own  sake  I  wished  the  cut- 
ter to  capture  us.  For  the  sake  of  my  friend,  —  the 
jireserver  of  my  life,  —  I  wanted  the  Pandora  to  escape. 
I  wavered  between  two  liopes.  Now  my  own  horrid 
situation  was  before  me,  —  the  disgust  I  felt  for  the  life 
I  was  compelled  to  lead,  the  hopelessness  of  getting 
away  from  it ;  and  when  these  thoughts  came  into  my 
mind  I  looked  with  longing  eyes  towui'ds  the  pursuer, 


70  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

and  wished  her  nearer  and  nearer.  Then  my  ey^ri 
would  rest  upon  poor  Brace,  as  he  hurried  over  the 
decks,  —  using  all  his  efforts  to  aid  the  Pandora's  speed, 
—  my  thoughts  would  undergo  a  complete  revulsion, 
and  my  late  hopes  would  suddenly  change  into  fears. 
For  a  long  while  I  awaited  the  result,  with  this  singular 
alternation  of  contradictory  emotions. 

During  all  this  time  there  was  a  stiff  breeze  blow- 
ing, and  this  it  was  that  gave  the  cutter  the  advantage. 
As  already  intimated  to  me  by  Brace,  the  barque  was  a 
"  crank  "  vessel,  and  carried  sail  badly  under  a  wind ; 
though,  in  fair  weather,  or  with  a.  light  breeze,  she  was 
one  of  the  fastest  sailers  on  the  sea.  It  was  for  tliig 
quality  she  had  been  chosen  for  the  peculiar  trade  in 
which  she  was  employed,  —  for  swiftness,  not  stowage, 
are  the  points  of  advantage  in  a  slave-ship.  The  poor 
negro  is  usually  packed  as  closely  as  any  other  species 
of  merchandise,  and  a  large  cargo  of  them  can  be 
stowed  in  a  small  sj^ace,  —  for  it  is  rare  that  the  slight- 
est consideration  of  humanity  enters  the  thoughts  of 
their  inhuman  "  stevedore." 

The  barque  then  had  been  built  for  fast  sailing, — . 
but  more  especially  in  light  wmds,  such  as  those  denom> 
inated  "  trade-winds,"  and  others  that  are  usually  en^ 
countered  between  the  tropics  and  the  "  line." 

The  cutter,  also,  sailed  well  in  a  light  wind,  but 
equally  well  in  a  stiff  bi'eeze,  —  even  under  the  stronge^ 
impetus  of  a  gale ;  and  as  it  had  now  freshened 
almost  to  a  gale,  the  latter  vessel  was  having  the  advan- 
tage. Even  under  such  a  wind  she  still  continued  to 
carry  most  of  her  sail,  —  her  main  and  second  jibs 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  71 

above  being  hauled  down,  along  -natli  her  gaff-topsail, 
Avhile  her  storm,  spit-fire,  and  third  jibs  were  still  kept 
bent  to  the  breeze. 

The  barque,  on  the  other  hand,  had  to  haul  doA\Ti 
both  royals  and  topgallant-sails,  and  close-reef  her  top- 
sails. She  was  thus  far  from  going  at  her  fastest,  but 
it  blew  so  freshly  it  would  have  been  dangerous  for  her 
to  have  spread  another  inch  of  canvas,  and  her  people 
well  knew  it. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  cutter  was  evidently 
gaining  upon  her ;  and  if  the  breeze  should  continue  at 
the  same  rate  for  two  hours  more,  the  Pandora  must 
certainly  be  overhauled  and  captui-ed. 

As  soon  as  her  crew  became  convinced  of  this,  they 
set  to  work  to  hide  all  the  implements  of  their  nefari- 
ous trade.  The  manacles  and  shackles  were  put  into  a 
cask  and  headed  up.  The  hatch-gratings,  which  the 
carpenter  had  been  so  long  in  making,  were  broken  up 
and  disfigured,  —  so  that  their  purpose  could  not  be 
recognized,  —  and  the  muskets,  pistols,  and  cutlasses 
were  stowed  away  in  some  secret  part  of  the  hold. 
There  was  no  intention  of  making  use  of  these,  and 
showing  fight  against  such  an  adversary.  Small  as 
was  the  cutter  in  comparison  with  the  barque,  the  crew 
of  the  latter  knew  very  well  that  that  of  the  former 
Avould  far  outnumber  them,  and  that  any  attempt  at 
resistance  to  such  a  well-armed,  sharp-toothed  little  ship 
of  war  would  only  bring  her  guns  upon  them,  and  end 
the  conflict  in  the  loss  of  at  least  half  their  number. 
They  entertained  no  hope,  therefore,  exc('])t  to  escape 
by  fast  sailing,  —  and  as  this  was  now  weU-iiigh  given 


72  KAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

u]),  they  set  to  work  to  prepare  themselves  for  passinj^" 
an  examination.  Several  of  the  crew  actually  hid 
themselves,  in  order  to  avoid  the  suspicion  which  their 
numbers  might  create ;  for,  as  I  had  already  observed, 
there  were  too  many  hands  for  a  ship  engaged  in  the 
ordinary  way  of  commerce. 

As  a  last  measure  the  old  skipper  had  got  out  his 
"  ship's  papers,"  which,  of  course,  had  been  prepared  for 
such  an  emergency,  and  Avhich  were  to  show  that  he 
was  "  all  right." 

In  this  way  the  Pandora  now  awaited  the  nearer 
approach  of  her  hostile  pursuer. 

The  cutter  had  gained  rapidly,  and  had  at  length  got 
within  less  than  a  mile's  distance,  when  a  gun  was  fired 
from  her  bow  ports  that  sent  the  shot  ricochetting  over 
the  water,  and  close  to  the  hull  of  the  barque.  A  sig- 
nal was  also  hoisted  for  the  latter  to  "  lay  to." 

My  heart  beat  wildly  within  my  breast.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  hour  of  my  deliverance  had  arrived ;  and  yet 
I  felt  a  contrary  belief,  —  a  presentiment  that  it  was 
not  3^et  to  be  ! 

Alas !  that  presentiment  proved  too  true.  With  aU 
the  appearances  in  favor  of  ovu*  being  captured,  it  was 
not  to  be.     The  destiny  of  the  Pandora  was  different. 

Almost  as  if  the  firing  of  the  gun  had  been  a  signal 
to  the  weather,  the  wind  suddenly  began  to  lull,  and  at 
each  moment  grew  lighter  and  lighter,  —  till  it  was  no 
longer  a  gale,  but  a  soft  and  gentle  breeze.  The  sun, 
that  was  now  setting,  no  doubt  had  caused  the  change, 
and  in  a  few  minutes'  time  the  sails  became  relaxed  and 
fell  flapping  agamst  the  yards. 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  73 

With  a  quick  eye  the  change  was  observed  by  the 
crew  of  the  Pandora,  and  the  advantage  understood. 
Instead,  therefore,  of  yielding  obedience  to  the  signal 
from  the  cutter,  all  hands  rushed  quickly  aloft,  —  the  top- 
sails were  unreefed  to  their  fullest  spread,  —  topgallants 
and  royals  were  unfurled,  and  even  the  studding-sails 
bent,  till  the  whole  rigging  of  the  barque  was  covered 
with  canvas. 

The  effect  was  almost  immediately  perceptible.  Al- 
though the  cutter  now  fired  her  guns  as  fast  as  she 
could  load  them,  I  could  perceive  that  she  was  every 
moment  losing  ground,  and  her  shots  now  fell  short  of 
the  barque. 

In  another  hour  she  was  miles  in  our  wake ;  and  ere 
the  darkness  of  night  closed  over  the  sea,  and  hid  the 
little  vessel  altogether  from  my  sight,  I  saw,  with  a  sad 
heart,  that  she  had  dwindled  to  a  mere  speck  upou  the 
edge  of  the  horizon  ! 


74  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


The  chase,  whicli  had  lasted  for  nearly  the  whole  of 
a  day,  carried  the  Pandora  a  hundred  miles  out  of  her 
course  before  she  had  fairly  distanced  the  cutter ;  but 
she  had  to  run  still  fifty  miles  farther  to  make  sure  that 
the  latter  had  lost  sight  of  her,  and,  of  course,  aban- 
doned the  pursuit.  The  last  part  of  the  run,  however, 
was  made  in  a  direction  diagonal  to  that  in  which  she 
had  been  chased ;  and  as  the  morning  broke,  and  there 
were  no  signs  of  the  cutter  nor  any  other  sail,  the  slaver 
once  more  headed  in  for  the  coast.  She  was  noAv  so 
far  to  the  south  of  the  line  on  which  she  had  encoun- 
tered the  cruiser,  that,  whether  the  latter  kept  on  in  the 
pursuit,  or  returned  as  she  had  come,  in  either  case  she 
would  be  too  distant  from  the  bai-que  to  make  her  out. 
The  darkness  of  the  night  had  also  favored  the  slaver's 
escape ;  and  when  morning  came,  her  commander  felt 
quite  sure  that  the  cutter  Avas  cruising  far  to  the  north 
of  him,  and  beyond  the  range  of  the  most  powerful  tele- 
scope. 

The  deviation  which  the  Pandora  had  made  from 
her  course  did  not  signify  much  to  such  a  light  sailer  as 
ehe.  She  soon  made  up  the  loss ;  for  next  day  the 
Vvind  had  veered  round  so  as  to  answer  for  her  course  ; 


KAX    AWAT    TO    SEA.  75 

and,  as  it  blew  but  lightly,  she  was  able  to  go  under 
studding-sails,  at  the  rate  of  ten  and  twelve  knots  an 
hour. 

She  was  now  heading  directly  for  the  African  coast, 
and  before  the  sun  had  set  my  eyes  rested  on  the  land, 
—  that  land  so  long  famous,  or  rather  infamous,  for  its 
commerce  in  human  beings,  —  for  the  hunt,  and  the  bar- 
ter, and  sale  of  men,  women,  aiid  children ! 

During  the  night  the  barque  stood  off  and  on  at  sev- 
eral miles'  distance  from  the  shore,  and  with  the  earliest 
light  of  morning  ran  close  in. 

There  was  no  port  nor  town.  Not  even  a  house  was 
in  sight.  The  land  was  low,  scarce  rising  above  the 
sea-level,  and  appeared  to  be  covered  with  a  dense  for- 
est to  the  water's  edge.  There  was  neither  buoy  nor 
beacon  to  direct  the  course  of  the  vessel,  but,  for  all 
that,  the  captain  knew  very  well  where  he  was  steering 
to.  It  was  not  his  first  slaving  expedition  to  the  coast 
of  Africa,  nor  yet  to  the  very  port  he  was  now  heading 
for.  He  knew  well  where  he  was  going ;  and,  although 
the  country  appeared  to  be  quite  wild  and  uninhabited, 
he  knew  that  there  were  people  who  expected  him  not 
far  off. 

One  might  have  fancied  that  the  Pandora  was  about 
to  be  run  ashore,  for,  until  she  was  within  a  few  cables' 
length  of  the  beach,  neither  bay  nor  landing-place  pre-- 
sented  itself  to  our  view,  and  no  orders  had  been  given 
to  drop  anchor.  It  is  true  that  most  of  her  sails  had 
been  hauled  down,  and  she  was  moving  but  slowly 
through  the  water,  but  still  fa^^t  enough  to  strike  witb 
violence  if  permitted  to  approach  much  nearer. 


76  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Several  of  the  crew,  who  were  on  their  first  voyage 
to  this  coast,  began  to  express  their  surprise ;  but  they 
were  laughed  at  by  the  older  hands  who  had  been  there 
before. 

All  at  once  the  surprise  was  over.  A  little  wooded 
point  was  rounded,  and  the  line  of  the  beach  —  Avhich 
but  the  moment  before  had  appeared  continuous  —  was 
now  seen  to  be  broken  by  a  long,  narrow  reach  of 
water,  that  ran  far  back  into  the  land.  It  proved  to  be 
the  mouth  of  a  small  but  deep  river ;  and,  without  re- 
connoissance  or  hesitation,  the  barque  entered  across  its 
bar,  and,  standing  up  stream,  came  to  anchor  about  a 
mile  inland  from  the  sea. 

Opposite  to  where  we  had  anchored  I  could  perceive 
a  strangely-built  hut  standing  near  the  bank,  and  anoth- 
er and  larger  one  farther  back,  and  partially  screened 
by  the  trees.  In  front  of  the  former,  and  close  to  the 
water's  edge,  was  a  group  of  dark-looking  men,  making 
some  signals  which  were  answered  by  the  mate  of  the 
Pandora.  Other  men  Avere  down  in  a  long  canoe  that 
Avas  riding  upon  the  Avater,  and  some  were  getting  into 
it,  as  if  about  to  be  roAved  out  to  us. 

I  saAv  the  palms  upon  the  bank ;  they  were  the  first 
trees  of  this  kind  I  had  ever  seen  growing,  but  I  easily 
recognized  them  by  the  pictures  I  had  seen  in  books. 
There  Avere  other  large  trees,  not  less  singular  in  their 
appearance,  and  differing  altogether  from  the  kinds  I 
had  been  accustomed  to  look  upon  at  home ;  but  my 
attention  Avas  soon  draA\Ti  from  the  trees  by  observing 
that  the  men  in  the  canoe  had  parted  from  the  shore 
And  Avere  paddling  toAvards  us. 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  77 

The  river  was  not  over  two  hundred  yards  in  width, 
and  as  the  barque  was  anchored  about  midwa}',  of  coui-se 
the  canoe  had  not  far  to  come.  In  a  few  seconds  it  was 
alongside,  and  I  had  a  fair  and  full  view  of  its  dusky 
rowers. 

As  I  regarded  them  the  reflection  passed  through  ray 
mind,  that,  if  these  were  a  fair  specimen  of  their  coun- 
trymen, the  less  acquaintance  with  them  the  better; 
and  I  could  now  comprehend  the  remark  of  Brace,  that 
to  desert  from  the  ship  on  the  African  coast  would  be 
sheer  madness.  "  Bad,"  said  he,  "  as  are  these  fellows 
on  board  the  Pandy,  still  they  have  white  skins  and 
something  human  about  them  ;  but  as  for  the  rascals  we 
are  to  meet  over  yonder  they  are  devils,  both  soul  and 
body,  —  you  shall  see  'em,  my  boy,  and  judge  for  your- 
self." These  remarks  my  patron  had  made  some  days 
before,  when  we  Avere  talking  of  our  intention  to  es- 
cape ;  and  as  I  looked  into  that  long  canoe,  and  scanned 
the  faces  of  the  half-score  of  men  that  sat  witliin  it,  I 
was  forcibly  struck  with  the  truthfulness  of  the  asser- 
tion. A  more  ferocious  set  of  men  I  never  looked 
upon,  —  very  devils  did  they  appear  ! 

There  were  eleven  of  them  in  all,  and  most  of  them 
were  as  black  as  shoe-leather,  though  there  was  a  vari- 
ety of  color,  from  jet-black  to  a  bad  tawny-yellow.  It 
was  evident  they  Avere  not  all  of  one  race,  for  there  is 
scarcely  any  part  of  the  western  coast  of  Africa  wliere 
there  is  not  an  admixture  of  different  races,  —  arising, 
no  doubt,  from  the  long-continued  slave-traffic  between 
the  coast  and  the  interior.  If  these  eleven  gentlemen 
difiered  slightly  in  color,  there  were  other  points  in 
7* 


78  KAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

which  they  differed  not  at  all.  All  of  them  had  thick 
lips,  beetle-brows,  short  kinky  wool  upon  their  heads, 
and  the  most  ferocious  and  brutal  expression  upon  their 
faces.  Eight  out  of  the  eleven  were  naked  as  at  the 
hour  of  their  birth,  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow 
swathing  of  cotton  cloth  around  their  hips  and  thighs. 
These  eight  used  the  paddles,  and  I  could  perceive  that 
they  had  spears  and  old  muskets  in  the  boat  beside 
them.  The  other  three  were  of  a  superior  class.  Two 
of  them  were  better  clad  than  the  eight  rowers,  —  but 
no  better  looking,  —  while  the  tliird  presented  to  the 
eye  an  aspect  at  once  so  hideously  fierce,  and  yet  so 
ludicrous,  that  it  was  difficult  to  determine  whether  you 
ought  to  laugh  at  or  to  fear  him. 

This  man  was  a  true  negro,  —  black  as  gunpowder, 
gross  as  a  water-butt,  and  of  enormous  dimensions. 
His  face  was  not  so  negrofied  (if  I  may  use  the  word) 
as  some  of  his  companions',  but  it  had  a  still  worse  ex- 
pression than  that  of  the  very  thick-lipped  kind,  for  it 
was  not  stupid  like  theirs.  On  the  contrary,  it  exhibit- 
ed a  mixture  of  ferocity  with  a  large  shai-e  of  cunning, 
—  a  countenance,  in  fact,  full  of  all  wickedness.  It 
resembled  a  good  deal  the  faces  I  have  afterwards  ob- 
served in  India,  —  among  the  fat,  despotic  princes  that 
are  still  permitted  to  misrule  some  portions  of  that  un- 
happy land,  —  and  a  large  black  beard,  whiskers,  and 
moustache  added  to  the  similitude. 

It  was  not  the  face,  nor  the  great  size  of  the  man, 
that  rendered  him  ridiculous.  Quite  the  contrary.  A 
glance  at  these  had  rather  an  opi^osite  tendency.  "Wliat 
was  laughable  about  him  was  his  costume ;  and  if  he 


EAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  79 

had  been  clone  np  for  a  farce  upon  the  stage,  or  a 
Christmas  pantomime,  he  could  not  have  been  dressed 
in  a  more  ludicrous  manner.  Upon  his  body  was  a 
uniform  coat  of  bright  scarlet  cloth,  the  cut  and  facings 
of  which  told  that  it  had  once  done  duty  in  the  army  of 
King  George.  It  had  been  a  sergeant's  full-dress  coat, 
for  the  chevrons  were  still  ujwn  the  cuffs ;  and  a  stout 
sergeant  he  must  have  been,  —  one  of  the  stoutest  in 
the  army.  The  coat  was  a  large  one,  yet,  withal,  it  was 
a  tight  fit  for  its  present  wearer,  and  did  not  come  with- 
in a  foot  of  buttoning  upon  him.  The  sleeves,  moreover, 
were  too  short  by  inches,  and  the  huge  black  wni-ists  of 
the  negro  appeared  in  strange  contrast  with  the  bright 
sheen  of  the  scarlet.  Behind,  the  skirts  forked  widely 
apart,  shoAving  the  huge  buttocks  of  the  wearer,  that 
were  covered  by  the  tails  of  a  striped  sailor's  shirt 
reaching  a  little  below ;  and  below  this,  again,  the  huge, 
thick,  black  thighs  and  lower  limbs  were  naked  to  the 
toes. 

An  old  cocked  hat  with  faded  lace  and  feathers,  that 
no  doubt  had  once  graced  the  head  of  some  admiral  or 
commodore,  sat  high  upon  the  woolly  crown  of  our  new 
acquaintance,  and  completed  the  absurd  tout  ensemble. 
There  was  a  long  knife  stuck  in  his  belt,  and  a  large 
crooked  sabre  dangling  between  liis  limbs. 

It  would  have  been  laughable  enough,  such  a  sin- 
gular apparition,  under  other  circumstances ;  but  I 
perceived  on  the  part  of  the  Pandora's  crew  no  dispo- 
sition to  laugh.  A  strict  order  from  the  captain  had 
been  issued  against  such  behavior,  and  enjoining  all  on 
board  to  receive  "  His  Majesty  King  Dingo  Bingo  '* 
witli  all  courtesy  and  respect. 


80  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

So,  then,  he  of  the  tight  coat  and  cocked  hat  was  a 
king,  —  King  "  Dingo  Bingo  "  !  The  two  that  Avere 
partially  clad  were  his  councillors,  and  the  eight  black 
canoe-men  a  portion  of  his  body-guard. 

I  did  not  make  all  these  observations  while  the  new- 
comers were  in  the  canoe.  There  had  been  no  time  for 
that.  The  moment  they  approached  the  side  of  the 
barque,  ropes  had  been  thrown  to  them,  and  the  canoe 
was  hauled  close  up.  A  ladder  had  already  been  let 
over  the  gangway,  and  up  this  "  His  Majesty  "  climbed, 
and  was  received  on  board  with  all  the  honors. 

Joyful  salutes  passed  between  him  and  his  well-known 
acquaintance,  the  captain ;  and,  without  more  ado,  the 
latter  led  the  way  across  the  quarter-deck,  and  conduct- 
ed his  majesty  to  the  cabin  with  apparent  formality,  but 
yet  in  a  frank  and  jovial  manner  that  proved  the  two  to 
be  old  friends,  —  the  best  friends  in  the  world. 

The  mate  did  his  best  to  entertain  the  two  "  Council- 
lors of  State,"  while  the  men  of  the  body-guard  re- 
mained below  in  the  canoe.  His  majesty  had  no  fear 
for  his  personal  safety.  He  knew  the  slaver  and  her 
master.  He  had  been  expecting  them,  and  therefore 
needed  to  ask  no  questions  about  country  or  character. 
The  skipper  and  the  king  understood  each  other. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  81 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


I  COULD  not  tell  what  was  said  between  these  two 
worthies,  but  I  knew  what  was  to  be  done.  His  majes- 
ty had  a  crowd  of  poor  negroes  not  far  off,  —  no  doubt 
shut  up  in  the  large  building  which  could  be  partially 
seen  through  the  trees.  These  he  had  procured  from 
some  back  country  in  the  interior,  —  partly  by  traffic 
with  other  king-monsters  like  himself,  and  partly  by 
means  of  man-hunting  expeditions,  which  he  had  made 
with  his  ferocious  troops.  It  was  highly  probable,  too, 
that  among  the  victims  about  to  be  transported  were 
many  who  had  been  his  own  subjects ;  for  these  African 
potentates  do  not  scruple  to  make  merchandise  of  their  ■ 
own  people,  when  cash  or  "  cowries "  run  short,  and 
their  enemies  have  been  too  strong  to  be  captured. 

Just  such. a  crowd  then  had  King  Dingo  Bingo  got 
together ;  and  the  joyful  smile  that  lighted  up  the  jovial 
face  of  the  skipper,  as  he  reappeared  upon  deck,  proved 
that  it  was  a  lai-ge  crowd,  and  that  he  was  sure  of  a 
full  "  cargo  "  without  further  trouble  or  delay.  Often 
competition  among  the  slave-vessels  renders  it  difficult 
to  obtain  a  full  "  freight "  ;  and  in  such  cases  the  white 
slave-dealers  who  dwell  ujjon  the  coast  (for  there  are 
many  such)  and  the  native  chiefs  become  terribly  ex- 


82  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

acting.  Then,  indeed,  the  first  cost  of  the  human  mer- 
chandise forms  an  important  item  in  tlie  invoice,  and 
the  jirofits  on  the  otlier  side  are  proportionately  dimin- 
ished ;  but  where  there  is  no  competition,  the  price  of 
the  black  is  considered  a  mere  trifle ;  and,  taken  in 
"  barter  "  as  he  is,  a  whole  ship's  load  of  such  "  bales," 
as  they  are  jocularly  called  among  slavers,  (by  the 
^Spaniards  termed  "  bultos,")  is  not  such  an  expensive 
investment.  The  purchase  of  the  vessel,  the  wages 
and  keep  of  the  crew  (necessarily  a  large  one),  are  the 
main  items  of  outlay  in  the  books  of  a  slaver.  As  for 
the  food  of  the  living  cargo,  that  cdhnts  for  little.  It  is 
of  the  simplest  and  coarsest  kind  that  can  be  pi'ocured, 
and  usually  consists  of  two  staple  articles :  the  African 
millet,  —  known  more  commonly  as  a  species  of  sago, 
—  and  palm-oil.  Both  are  easily  obtained  on  any  part 
of  the  western  coast  where  the  slave-trade  exists ;  for 
there  both  these  articles  form  the  common  food  of  the 
country.  The  millet  is  a  Avell-knoA\Ti  grain  ;  but  there 
are  many  sorts  of  grain  in  different  parts  of  the  world 
which  go  under  this  name,  and  yet  are  obtained  from 
plants  that  are  very  distinct  in  character.  As  for  the 
palm-oil,  it  is  at  present  one  of  the  most  important 
items  of  African  commerce,  and  thousands  of  tons  of  it 
are  annually  imported  into  England  and  France,  where 
it  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  yellow  soap.  It  is  ex- 
tracted from  the  nut  of  a  large  palm-tree,  whole  forests 
of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  western  countries  of  trop- 
ical Africa,  with  the  fallen  nuts  lying  scattered  over  the 
ground  as  thick  as  pebbles ;  and,  up  to  a  late  period, 
scarce  cared  for  by  the  native  inhabitants.    The  demand 


RAN   AAVAT   TO    SEA.  83 

for  palm-oil,  however,  lias  of  late  years  stimulated  even 
the  indolent  negroes  to  the  manufiicture  of  the  article, 
and  these  immense  palm-orchards  are  now  carefully 
preserved,  and  their  fruit  gathered  at  the  proper  season. 

It  is  the  pulpy  covering  of  the  nut  that  yields  the 
oil,  which  becomes  hard  as  soon  as  it  cools,  —  so  hard 
that  it  requires  to  be  cut  with  a  knife,  or  scooped  out 
by  some  sharp  instrument.  In  this  state  it  is  used  by 
the  negroes  just  as  we  use  butter,  and  forms  a  staple 
article  of  their  daily  diet. 

Since  both  the  mill^t-sago  and  the  palm-butter  can 
be  purchased  in  Africa  cheaper  than  any  other  food,  of 
course  these  are  shipped  on  board  the  slave-vessels  for 
the  consumption  of  the  unfortunate  captives,  and  be- 
yond these  no  other  food  is  thought  of.  Water  alone  is 
their  drink,  and  to  provide  this  the  hold  of  a  slave-ship 
is  usually  crammed  with  large  casks,  as  was  the  case 
with  tlie  Pandora.  These  casks  serve  as  ballast  on  the 
return  trip,  when  the  vessel  is  without  her  freight,  and 
then  they  are  kept  full,  —  generally  with  salt  water,  as 
this  in  most  ports  is  more  conveniently  got  at ;  and  on 
the  coast  of  Africa,  as  the  place  of  embarkation  is  usu- 
ally a  river,  the  salt  water  is  easily  emptied  out  and 
fresh  substituted.  "With  these  explanations  I  shall  now 
return  to  our  skipper  and  his  royal  guest. 

It  was  plain  that  the  former  was  in  excellent  humor. 
He  had  King  Dingo  Bingo  all  to  himself,  and  was 
promised  a  full  cargo.  His  majesty  seemed  not  less 
pleased  with  the  interview.  He  came  forth  out  of  the 
cabin  staggering  with  partial  intoxication,  clutching  in 
one  hand  a  half-empty  bottle  of  rum,  while  in  the  other 


84  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

he  held  various  glittering  trinkets  and  pieces  of  gaudy 
wearing-apparel,  Avhich  he  had  just  received  as  pres- 
ents from  the  captain.  He  swaggered  about  the  deck, 
once  or  twice  tripping  upon  his  long  steel  scabbard. 
He  talked  in  loud  praise  of  his  warlike  achievements, 
boasting  of  the  many  villages  he  had  sacked,  of  the 
captives  he  had  made,  and  ever  reminding  his  host  of 
the  fine  cargo  he  had  collected  for  him.  There  were 
five  hundred  of  them,  "young  and  strong."  They 
were  shut  up  safely  in  the  "  baiTacoon,"  —  such  was  the 
name  of  the  large  building,  —  and  to-morrow,  that  day, 
or  whenever  the  captain  was  ready,  he  Avould  deliver 
them  over.     So  promised  the  king. 

Of  course  the  captain  was  not  quite  ready.  His 
majesty's  "plunder"  had  to  be  got  out  of  the  hold,  and 
boated  ashore ;  the  water-casks  had  to  be  emptied,  — 
for  it  was  sea-water  they  contained,  —  and  then  refilled 
from  the  river ;  and  these  things  done,  the  barque 
would  then  take  on  board  her  five  hundred  "  bultos." 

After  a  good  deal  more  swaggering  and  swearing,  — 
for  this  African  royalty  could  speak  a  little  English, 
and  knew  most  of  its  most  blackguard  phrases,  —  his 
sable  majesty  once  more  betook  himself  to  his  boat,  and 
was  rowed  back  to  the  bank.  The  captain,  taking  his 
mate  and  some  half-dozen  of  the  sailors  along  with 
him,  followed  soon  after  in  the  gig  to  complete  the 
debauch,  —  for  King  Dingo  Bingo  had  invited  him  to 
a  royal  entertainment  in  his  timber  palace  upon  the 
shore. 

I  looked  after  with  longing  eyes.  Not  that  I  had 
any  desire  to  be  of  their  company,  —  far  from  it,  in- 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  85 

deed,  —  but  gazing  upon  the  beautiful  forms  of  vegeta- 
tion that  adorned  the  banks  of  this  savage  river,  listen- 
ing to  the  sweet  music  that  came  from  a  thousand 
bright-plumed  songsters  amid  the  woods,  I  longed  once 
moi'e  to  set  my  feet  upon  the  firm  eai-th ;  I  longed  to  be 
alone,  to  wander  alone  and  free,  away  under  the  shado\v 
of  those  majestic  trees. 


86  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

It  is  very  probable  I  should  have  longed  in  vain, 
very  probable  I  should  not  have  been  allowed  to  set 
foot  upon  the  shore,  but  for  my  protector  Brace.  My 
work  was  still  that  of  the  swab  and  mop  and  shoe- 
brush,  and  I  was  kept  closely  employed  at  such 
"  chores "  from  morning  to  night.  The  others  were 
permitted  to  go  ashore  almost  at  their  pleasure,  —  ex- 
cept during  their  working-hours,  and  then  they  were 
back  and  forward  several  times  in  the  day,  unloading 
the  cargo  of  rum,  and  salt,  and  iron,  that  was  forthwith 
delivered  up  to  King  Dingo  Bingo. 

I  endeavored  several  times  to  go  wdth  them  in  the 
boat,  but  was  always  repulsed  by  some  one,  usually  by 
the  mate  or  captain  himself. 

■Every  day  as  the  sun  rose  over  the  glistening  tree- 
tops,  tinging  their  rich  verdure  with  hues  of  gold,  I 
sighed  for  liberty,  and  I  would  have  given  aught  I 
possessed,  to  have  been  allowed  to  roam  freely  through 
those  bright  woods.  Only  one  who  has  been  for  months 
cooped  up  within  the  confined  boundaries  of  a  ship, 
until  tired  to  death  of  its  monotonous  life,  can  have  an 
idea  of  the  intense  longings  that  I  experienced.  I  was 
even  worse  off  than  one  who  may  have  been  thus  sit- 


EAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  87 

uated.  I  "was  not  only  cooped  up,  but  ill-trcatcd.  I 
was  not  only  a  prisoner,  but  a  slave,  harshly  used,  and 
thoroughly  disgusted  both  with  my  master  and  asso- 
ciates. K  but  for  a  single  hour,  therefore,  I  would 
have  made  any  sacrifice  to  have  been  permitted  to  take 
a  stroll  in  yonder  wild  woods,  that  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  stretched  away  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  for 
I  had  viewed  them  from  the  royal-mast-head,  and  saw 
that  they  were  interminable. 

I  cannot  tell  why  the  captain  and  mate  were  so 
opposed  to  my  going  ashore.  It  might  be  that  they 
were  suspicious  of  me,  and  feared  I  might  run  away 
from  the  ship.  Knowing  the  harsh  treatment  to  which 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  submitting  me,  it  is  not  strange 
they  should  suspect  me  of  such  an  intention.  My 
position  could  hardly  be  worse,  even  among  savages  ; 
and,  therefore,  it  was  natural  enough  they  should  have 
their  fears  of  my  leaving  them. 

They  had  no  desire  to  part  with  me  on  such  terms. 
I  had  proved  of  great  service  to  them  in  the  capacity 
of  cabin-boy  and  attendant ;  and  they  found  my  ser- 
vices very  convenient.  Though  they  would  have  cared 
little  for  drowning  me,  or  knocking  me  on  the  head,  to 
gratify  a  whim  of  their  own,  they  Avould  have  been 
sadly  grieved  had  I  succeeded  in  running  away  froni 
them ;  and,  evidently  suspecting  that  I  might  harbor 
such  an  intention,  they  took  care  that  I  should  not  have 
the  slightest  opportunity  of  carrying  it  out.  I  was  not 
permitted,  therefore,  to  set  my  foot  in  any  of  tlie  boats 
that  were  constantly  going  and  coming  between  the 
ship  and  the  shore. 


bo  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

There  was  one  other  of  the  Pandora's  crew  who  was 
dealt  with  in  a  similar  manner,  and  this  was  poor 
"  Dutchy,"  as  the  sailors  called  him.  They  might  well 
suspect  him  of  a  design  to  run  away.  Bad  as  was  the 
treatment  I  received,  it  was  humane  and  civil  when 
compared  with  the  almost  continuous  cruelty  practised 
upon  the  Dutchman ;  and  instinct  itself  should  have 
prompted  him  to  flee  from  it  at  the  very  first  opportu- 
nity that  offered. 

Unfortunately,  instinct  had  this  very  effect ;  or  rather, 
I  might  say,  human  flesh  and  blood  could  stand  it  no 
longer ;  and  Dutchy  determined  to  desert.  I  say  un- 
fortunately, for  the  attempt  proved  a  failure,  and  had 
an  a^v^ul  termination.  It  ended  in  the  death  of  this 
poor  sailor,  —  a  death  that  was  hideous  and  appalling. 

I  shall  relate  the  incident  in  a  few  words. 

A  few  days  after  coming  to  anchor  Dutchy  had 
communicated  to  me  his  intention  of  deserting  from 
the  ship.  He  had  made  me  his  confidant,  in  hopes 
that  I  might  join  him  in  the  enterprise,  —  for  the  poor 
fellow  knew  there  was  not  another  on  board  who  had 
ever  spoken  to  him  a  word  of  sympathy.  This  I  had 
done,  and,  consequently,  had  won  his  regard.  He 
knew,  moreover,  that  I,  too,  was  a  persecuted  \-ictim ; 
and,  therefore,  believed  I  might  be  as  willing  as  him- 
self to  get  away  beyond  the  reach  of  the  common 
tyrant.  It  is  true  I  was  so,  but  the  advice  of  my  patron 
Brace  had  rendered  me  content  to  Avait  for  a  better 
opportunity,  —  to  wait  for  our  arrival  upon  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  endure 
till  then ;  knowing  that  a  voyage  from  the  west  coast 


RAX   AWAY   TO    SEA.  89 

of  Africa  to  the  Brazils  —  the  destination  of  the  Pan- 
dora —  would  be  but  a  few  weeks  in  duration,  and  con- 
fident, from  what  Brace  had  promised  me,  that  there  I 
should  part  from  the  hated  crew. 

For  these  reasons  I  refused  to  accede  to  Dutchy's 
proposal,  and  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  his 
design ;  advising  him  also  to  wait  for  our  arrival  on  the 
other  side. 

My  counsels  proved  vain.  Flesh  and  blood  could 
stand  it  no  longer.  The  poor  fellow  had  been  perse- 
cuted to  the  utmost  limit  of  endurance,  until  he  could 
endure  no  more  ;  and,  under  the  impulse  of  despair,  he 
made  his  fatal  attempt. 

One  night,  when  nearly  all  on  board  were  asleep,  a 
plimge  was  heard  close  by  the  side  of  the  vessel,  as  of 
some  one  who  had  fallen  or  leaped  into  the  Avater.  The 
cry  of  "  A  man  overboard ! "  was  heard  from  the  few 
who  were  awake  on  the  watch  ;  and  echoed  from  mouth 
to  mouth,  till  the  sleepers  —  most  of  whom  were  on 
deck  in  their  hammocks  —  were   aroused. 

The  night  was  almost  as  clear  as  day,  —  for  there 
was  a  full,  round  moon  in  the  heavens ;  and  up  to  this 
time  there  had  been  perfect  stillness  and  silence.  The 
men,  wondering  who  had  gone  overboard,  rushed  to  the 
side,  and  looked  into  the  water.  A  small,  black  object 
above  the  surface  indicated  the  head  of  a  man.  It  was 
in  motion,  and  a  shght,  plashing  noise,  with  the  long 
ripple  made  upon  the  Avater,  showed  that  some  one  was 
in  the  river  and  swimming  with  all  his  might  for  the 
shore. 

Perhaps  some  one  had  seen  poor  Dutchy  as  he  made, 
8* 


90  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

this  fatal  plunge,  for  at  that  moment  the  cry  was  given 
out  that  it  was  he  wlio  was  endeavoring  to  escape. 

Botli  mate  and  captain  were  on  tlie  alert.  On  ac- 
count of  the  heat,  they  too  had  been  sleeping  in  ham- 
mocks swung  over  the  quarter-deck,  and  in  a  moment 
tliey  had  sprung  out  upon  their  feet.  Both  ran  to  arm 
themselves ;  and  before  the  deserter  had  made  half- 
way to  the  bank  his  tyrants  were  leaning  over  the  side, 
each  grasping  a  loaded  musket. 

Eitlier  would  have  been  in  good  time  to  have  sent  a 
bullet  through  the  unfortunate  victim ;  but  though  liis 
blood  was  to  be  on  their  heads,  it  was  not  destined  that 
he  should  die  by  their  hands. 

Before  either  had  time  to  take  aim,  a  second  ripple 
was  observed  in  the  water,  running  diagonally  to  that 
made  by  the  swimmer,  and  as  the  head  of  this  ripple, 
and  causing  it,  was  seen  a  long,  dark,  monster-like 
form. 

"  A  crocodile  !  a  crocodile ! "  shouted  the  men  upon 
the  barque. 

Both  captain  and  mate  held  their  fire,  and  lowered 
their  muskets.  They  saw  that  the  work  would  be 
done  as  well  without  them ;  and  I  am  positive  that  I 
perceived  at  that  moment  a  grim  smile  of  satisfaction 
on  the  faces  of  both. 

"  Poor  Dutchy  ! "  cried  a  voice,  "  he  '11  never  reach 
the  bank  !  It  's  all  up  with  him,  —  he  '11  be  swallowed 
whole,  bones,  body,  and  all.     See  !  " 

It  was  almost  literally  as  the  man  had  predicted. 
As  he  uttered  the  final  exclamation,  the  dark  monster 
—  now  within  a  few  feet  of  its  victim  —  made  a  rapid 


RAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA.  91 

dash  forward,  its  long,  notched  back  rose  high  above 
tlie  water,  and,  seizing  the  swimmer  between  its  strong, 
bony  jaws,  commenced  dragging  him  under.  A  wild 
scream  of  agony  pealed  from  the  lips  of  the  unfortunate 
man.  that  echoed  afar  into  the  surrounding  woods  ;  but 
before  the  echoes  had  died  away,  the  monster  Avith  its 
victim  had  sunk  beneath  the  surface  ;  and  a  few  blood- 
stained bubbles  were  all  that  remained  to  mark  the 
spot  where  the  terrible  incident  had  occurred. 

"  Served  him  right !  "  vociferated  the  captain  with  a 
fearful  oath  ;  "  served  him  right,  the  good-for-nothing 
lubber !  He  's  not  much  loss ;  we  can  spare  him,  I 
dare  say." 

"  Ay,  ay  ! "  assented  the  mate,  also  with  the  embel- 
lishment of  an  oath,  and  then  added  :  — 

"  A  lesson  to  all  runaways  !  If  the  son  of  a  sea- 
cook  had  stayed  where  he  was,  he  'd  have  missed  that ; 
but  if  the  fool  likes  better  to  be  in  the  belly  of  a  croco- 
dile than  the  forecastle  of  a  good  ship,  he  's  had  his 
choice.  All  I  've  got  to  say  is,  it 's  a  queer  craft  he 's 
chosen  to  ship  aboard  o'." 

The  captain  ansAvered  this  sally  with  a  horse-laugh, 
in  which  he  Avas  joined  by  several  of  the  unfeeling 
crew ;  and  then  both  mate  and  captain,  having  restored 
their  muskets  to  the  rack,  betook  themselves  once  more 
to  their  hammocks,  and  fell  asleep.  The  sailors,  group- 
ing around  the  Avindlass,  remained  for  a  Avhile  convers- 
ing upon  the  aAA^ful  incidents  that  had  transj)ired,  but 
the  tone  of  the  conversation  proved  that  the  occurrence 
gave  tliem  but  little  concern.  Some  eA'cn  Innghcd  as 
they   talked ;   and  jesU  wei:e    vn^ad   as  to  AvUether 


92  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Dutchy  had  made  a  will,  and  who  was  to  be  heir  to  his 
"property."  As  the  poor  fellow  in  reality  possessed 
no  property,  —  his  whole  effects  consisting  of  a  few 
tattered  rags  of  dress,  a  tin  platter,  with  an  old  knife, 
fork,  and  spoon,  —  the  joke  was  all  the  more  piquant, 
and  the  fellows  laughed  heartily  at  it. 

It  was  finally  agreed  upon  that  they  should  "  raffle  " 
for  Dutchy's  "  kit "  in  the  morning ;  and  this  point 
being  settled,  one  by  one  dropped  off,  some  to  sleep  in 
their  bunks  in  the  forecastle,  and  others  upon  the  deck 
or  in  hammocks  slmig  to  the  spars  and  rigging. 

All  were  soon  asleep,  and  silence  once  more  brooded 
over  the  scene.  I  alone  could  not  sleej},  but  stood 
looking  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  my  eyes  fixed  on 
the  spot  where  the  unfortunate  man  had  been  last  seen. 
There  was  nothing  to  guide  the  eye,  —  not  a  trace  of 
the  short,  sanguinary  struggle.  The  crimson  froth  had 
long  since  floated  away,  and  the  dark  water  flowed  on 
Avithout  even  a  ripple  upon  its  surface ;  but,  for  all  that, 
I  could  still  see  with  the  eye  of  my  fancy  —  that  horrid 
l^icture  —  the  hideous  monster,  with  its  victim  grasped 
transversely  between  its  horrid  jaws,  and  I  could  still 
hear  the  scream  of  agony  echoing  far  off  in  the  woods. 

Of  course  it  was  but  fancy.  There  was  no  sound 
stirring,  even  of  wind  or  water.  Above  and  around 
reigned  an  impressive  stUlness,  as  if  Nature  herself,  by 
that  dread  event,  had  been  awed  into  silence ! 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  93 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

I  WAS  glad  when  morning  dawned,  for  I  slept  but 
little  tluit  night.  The  sad  fate  of  the  poor  sailor  lay 
heavily  upon  my  spirits  during  the  whole  of  the  next 
day,  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  some  such  end- 
ing might  happen  to  myself.  It  was  the  constant  dread 
I  was  in  of  the  brutal  violence  of  mate  and  captain  that 
produced  these  unpleasant  forebodings  ;  for  I  regarded 
these  men  as  the  real  murderers  of  the  unfortunate 
man.  The  crocodile  only  came  in  as  an  accessory,  and 
had  no  such  creature  appeared  upon  the  scene,  the 
Dutchman  would,  no  doubt,  have  perished  all  the  same 
by  the  bullets  of  their  muskets.  The  monster  had  only 
forestalled  them,  and  hastened  the  event  by  a  few 
seconds  of  time ;  and  it  was  evident  that,  had  they 
shot  the  man  instead,  —  these  reckless  ruffians,  —  they 
would  have  been  equally  disregardful  of  consequences, 
—  equally  without  remorse  or  regret.  No  Avonder  I 
felt  that  my  life  was  insecure ;  no  wonder  my  mind 
was  filled  with  forebodings. 

During  the  whole  of  that  day  the  deatli-scrcam  of 
the  poor  sailor  seemed  to  echo  in  my  cars,  in  sad  con- 
trast with  the  coarse  mirth  and  loud,  rude  laughter  (hat 
rang  over  the  decks  of  the  Pandora.     On  boiU'd  it  was 


'94  KAN   AWAY   TO    SKA. 

a  (lay  of  jubilee.  King  Dingo  Bingo  was  entcrtainefl 
by  the  captain,  and  brought  not  only  some  of  his  chief 
men  with  him,  but  also  his  harem  of  black-skinned 
beauties,  between  whom  and  the  rough  men  of  the 
crew,  love-making,  dancing,  and  carousing  was  kej)t  up 
to  a  late  hour  in  the  night. 

The  paltry  cargo  of  goods  which  the  barque  had 
carried  was  by  tliis  time  taken  on  shore  and  delivered 
to  his  commercial  majesty ;  who,  in  return,  had  counted 
out  his  captives,  and  made  them  over  as  slaves  to  the 
skipper.  Before  they  could  be  taken  aboard,  however, 
the  vessel  required  some  alterations.  New  gratings 
were  to  be  made,  —  in  the  stead  of  those  destroyed 
during  the  chase,  —  and  bulkheads  were  to  be  strength- 
ened and  repaired,  for  it  was  intended  to  partition  off 
the  males  from  the  females.  It  was  not  any  idea  of 
decency  that  prompted  this  arrangement,  but  simply 
convenience.  Moreover,  the  water-butts  had  to  be  emp- 
tied of  the  salt  water  which  they  contained,  and  fresh 
substituted  in  its  stead,  all  which  work  would  require 
a  considerable  time  for  its  performance.  The  last  thing 
Avould  be  the  embarkation  of  the  cargo.  This  Avould 
be  the  easiest  of  all,  as  each  "  bale,"  was  able  to  trans- 
port itself  from  shore  to  ship,  and  take  its  place  Avithout 
giving  the  least  trouble.  The  stowage  of  such  a  cargo 
was  accounted  handy.  The  slaves,  therefore,  remained 
in  the  barracoon,  and  the  pi'cparatious  for  their  em- 
barkation went  on. 

I  still  }'earned  to  visit  the  shore.  INIy  heart  was 
sick  of  the  scenes  daily  Avitnessed  on  board,  and  I 
beUeved  that  if  I  could  only  get  a  day's  excursion  into 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  90 

the  wild  woods  it  Avould  be  a  real  happiness.  I  even 
fancied  it  would  strengthen  me  to  bear  the  voyage  of 
the  "  middle  wa}^,"  of  the  horrors  of  which  I  had  heard 
something,  and  about  which  I  felt  forebodings  and  ap- 
prehensions. 

It  was  not  even  the  prospect  of  my  own  sufferings 
that  caused  me  this  uneasiness.  It  was  the  thought 
of  the  tortures  I  should  witness,  —  the  appalling  spec- 
tacle of  the  crowded  steerage,  —  the  endurance  and 
misery  of  those  hapless  negroes,  who  were  to  be  penned 
together  with  scarce  room  to  sit  down,  —  not  enough  to 
lie  down,  —  who  were  to  be  kept  thus  for  long,  long 
Aveeks  on  scant  food  and  drink,  —  half  famished,  —  half 
dead  with  thirst,  —  panting  and  fainting  under  tropic 
heat  and  foul  air,  many  of  them  actually  destined  to 
perish  from  these  causes !  Such  spectacles  should  I  be 
called  upon  to  witness,  —  perhaps  to  take  part  in.  It 
Avas  this  prospect  that  gave  me  pain,  and  no  Avonder  it 
should. 

My  OAvn  life  Avas  Avretched  enough,  —  full  of  regrets. 
It  Avas  not  an  absolute  fondness  for  the  profession  of 
the  sea  that  had  lured  me  from  home.  It  Avas  rather 
an  ardent  desire  to  see  foreign  lands,  —  in  short,  that 
longing  for  travel  and  adventure  Avhich  every  boy  ex- 
periences to  some  degree,  but  Avhich  Avith  me  Avas  a 
passion.  I  fancied  that  a  sailor's  life  would  enable  me 
to  indulge  in  this  propensity ;  but,  alas  !  here  Avas  I  in 
Africa  itself,  in  the  midst  of  its  Avild  and  sublime  scen- 
ery,  and  yet  scarce  alloAved  to  look  upon  it !  I  was 
more  like  a  prisoner  gazing  through  the  grating  of  his 
jail  upon  the  free  Avorld  Avithout,  —  like  a  bird  avLo 


96  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

sees  through  the  wires  of  its  cage  the  bright  green 
foliage,  amidst  which  it  Avould  gladly  disport  itself, 

"But  I  was  not  without  hopes  of  being  able  to  gratify 
my  longings.  Brace  had  made  me  a  promise,  that,  as 
soon  as  he  himself  should  be  allowed  a  day  to  go  ashore, 
he  would  try  hard  to  get  permission  for  me  to  accom- 
pany him.  This  was  my  hope,  and  I  was  cheered  at 
the  prospect,  though  not  without  doubts  that  my  pa- 
tron's request  might  be  denied  by  the  unfeeling  brutes. 

Meanwhile  I  made  the  most  of  my  situation,  and 
endeavored  as  best  I  could  to  vary  its  miserable  mo- 
notony by  observing  whatever  of  Nature  could  be  seen 
around.  Even  within  the  circumference  of  my  vision 
from  the  Pandora's  deck  there  was  much  that  was  new 
to  me  and  interesting.  The  country  around  was  en- 
tirely without  inhabitants.  The  houses  upon  the  bank 
of  the  river  were  mere  temporary  dwelUngs.  They 
constituted  the  "  factory  "  of  King  Dingo  Bingo,  —  that 
is,  his  slave-mart ;  but  his  majesty  did  not  reside  there. 
His  towTi  and  palace  were  farther  up  the  river,  where 
the  country  was  higher  and  more  healthy,  —  for  here, 
near  the  sea,  the  climate  was  rife  with  malaria,  and  all 
the  diseases  for  which  the  west  coast  of  Africa  is  so 
notorious.  The  king  only  visited  this  place  at  "  inter- 
vals," sometimes  only  once  a  year,  when  the  Pandora 
or  some  other  vessel  came  for  her  cargo  of  slaves,  — 
the  chief  product  of  King  Dingo  Bingo's  dominions. 
Then  would  he  descend  the  river  with  his  "  crop," 
gathered  from  all  parts,  —  the  produce  of  many  a  san- 
guinary conflict,  many  a  blood-stained  man-chase,  in 
which  he  and  his  myrmidons  had  been  engaged.     He 


RAX    A"SVAY    TO    SEA.  97 

would  bring  witli  him  his  picked  body-guard,  and  his 
following  of  wives  and  women  ;  for  the  visit  to  the 
slave-ship,  with  her  cargo  of  strong  waters,  was  the 
signal  for  a  series  of  coarse  festivities  on  the  grandest 
ficale. 

At  all  other  times  of  the  year  the  factory  would  be 
deserted,  its  huts  uninhabited  by  man,  and  its  ban'acoon 
empty.  Fierce  beasts  of  prey  would  occupy  the  place 
where  man  had  dwelt,  —  scarce  less  ferocious  than 
themselves,  —  and  Nature  would  be  left  to  her  silence 
and  solitude. 

For  this  reason  the  scene  around  had  its  charms  for 
me.  Its  very  wildness  was  charming,  and,  even  within 
the  circumscribed  circle  of  my  view,  I  saw  much  to 
gratify  my  curiosity  and  give  me  pleasure. 

I  saw  the  gigantic  "  river-horse,"  wallowing  through 
the  flood,  and  dragging  his  clumsy  body  out  upon  the 
bank.  Of  these  I  observed  two  sorts  ;  for  it  is  a  fact, 
though  scarce  known  to  naturalists,  that  there  are  two 
distinct  kinds  of  the  hippopotamus  fomid  in  the  rivers  of 
Western  Africa,  —  the  one  least  known  being  a  much 
smaller  animal  than  the  hippopotamus  of  the  Nile  and 
the  Hottentots.  I  saw  daily,  almost  hourly,  the  huge 
crocodiles,  lying  like  dead  trees  along  the  edge  of 
the  sti-eam,  or  swimming  rapidly  through  the  river  in 
pursuit  of  their  finny  prey  ;  large  porpoises,  too,  leap- 
ing high  above  the  surface,  sometimes  passing  the 
vessel  so  near  that  I  could  have  struck  them  with  a 
handspike.  These  were  from  the  sea,  making  long 
excursions  up  the  river  in  search  of  a  favorite  food  that 
floated  plenteously  in  the  fresh  water.     Other  ampliibi- 


98  ilAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

ous  creatures  I  perceived  at  times,  —  a  large  water- 
lizard  that  almost  rivalled  the  crocodiles  in  bulk,  —  and 
I  once  had  a  peep  at  that  rare  creature,  the  "  red 
water-hog,"  of  the  Cameroons,  —  for  the  little  river  we 
were  anchored  in  was  not  far  from  the  same  latitude 
as  the  Cameroons  itself,  and  the  same  sjiecies  inhabited 
both. 

Land  animals,  too,  occasionally  made  their  appear- 
ance on  the  bank,  within  sight  of  the  barque.  A  lion 
.  was  observed  skulking  through  the  trees ;  and  huge 
monkeys,  both  red  and  black  ones,  appeared  through 
the  branches,  whose  wild,  sometimes  human  voices 
could  be  heard  at  all  times  of  the  night,  —  moaning, 
screaming,  and  chattering.  Beautiful  birds,  too,  — 
•wood-pigeons,  parrots,  and  strange  kinds  of  water-birds, 
—  were  constantly  hovering  over  the  river,  flying  from 
bank  to  bank,  or  perched  on  the  tops  of  the  trees,  giv- 
ing utterance  to  their  varied  notes. 

In  truth  it  was  an  animated  scene,  and  had  I  been 
allowed  time  and  leisure  I  could  have  regarded  it  for  a 
long  while  without  being  wearied  with  its  monotony. 
As  it  was,  however,  those  voices  and  movements  of  the 
beasts  and  birds  only  increased  my  longings  to  visit 
their  wild  wood-haunts,  and  make  nearer  acquaintance 
with  those  of  them  that  were  innocent  and  beautiful. 

With  what  joy,  then,  did  I  learn  from  Brace  that 
upon  the  morrow  he  was  to  have  "  his  day,"  and  that 
he  had  succeeded  in  obtaining  leave  for  me  to  accom- 
pany him ! 

The  boon  had  been  granted  in  a  surly  manner,  — 
not  to  me,  but  to  Brace  himself,  who  had  represented 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  99 

that  he  wanted  me  to  assist  him.  He  was  going  upon 
a  hunt,  —  for,  like  most  of  his  countrymen,  Brace  had 
a  little  of  the  sportsman  in  him,  —  and  he  would  need 
some  one  to  carry  his  game.  For  this  reason  was  I 
allowed  to  go  along. 

For  my  part,  I  cared  not  for  the  reason.  I  was  too 
happy  in  the  prospect  to  cavil  about  the  motives ;  and 
I  prepared  to  accompany  my  patron  with  a  feeling  of 
joyful  anticipation,  such  as  I  had  never  experienced 
before  at  the  prospect  of  any  happiness  in  store  for 
me. 


100  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


Next  morning,  just  after  daybreak,  Brace  and  I 
started  upon  our  excursion.  A  couple  of  sailors,  friends 
of  my  companion,  rowed  us  ashore,  and  then  took  back 
the  boat.  I  was  not  easy  in  my  mind  until  I  saw  the 
boat  return  without  us;  for  I  was  still  apprehensive 
that  my  tyrants  might  repent  of  their  generosity,  hail 
the  boat,  and  have  me  taken  back.  I  was  not  happy 
until  I  had  put  some  bushes  between  myself  and  the 
river's  bank,  that  hid  me  from  the  view  of  the  barque. 

Then,  indeed,  did  I  feel  happy,  —  so  much  so  that  I 
danced  over  the  ground  and  Hung  my  arms  wildly 
around  me,  until  my  companion  began  to  think  I  had 
suddenly  taken  leave  of  my  senses.  If  I  felt  hapj^y  at 
the  prospect  of  this  temporary  freedom,  how  much  more 
was  ■  I  joyed  by  the  reality  !  I  cannot  describe  the 
peculiar  sensations  I  experienced  at  that  moment.  My 
feet  once  more  rested  on  the  welcome  earth,  after  having 
for  two  long  months  pressed  only  the  slippery  deck ; 
once  more  I  walked  under  the  shadow  of  noble  trees, 
and  around  and  above  me,  instead  of  stiff  spars  and 
black  tarred  ropes,  I  beheld  gi-aceful  boughs  and  bright 
green  leaves.  Instead  of  the  wind  drumming  upon  the 
sails,  or  the  storm  screeching  harshly  thi'ough  the  taut 


r.AX    AAV.W    TO    SEA.  101 

rigging,  I  heard  only  a  soft  breeze,  singing  plaj'fully 
through  the  twigs,  and  bearing  upon  its  wings  the 
melody  of  many  a  sweet  songster.  Far  more  than  all, 
I  was  once  more  free,  —  free  to  think,  and  speak,  and 
act,  —  not  one  of  which  had  I  been  free  to  do  since 
the  day  I  stepped  on  board  the  Pandora. 

Jso  longer  were  those  froA\Tiing  faces  before  my  eyes ; 
no  longer  rang  in  my  ears  those  harsh  voices,  —  harsher 
from  jests,  ribald  and  blasphemous  utterings.  No ;  I 
saw  only  the  jovial  face  of  my  companion ;  I  heard 
only  his  cheerful  voice,  —  more  cheerful  because  he  too 
was  in  liigh  spirits  with  the  prospect  of  our  day's 
enjoyment. 

We  soon  buried  ourselves  in  the  woods,  —  far  beyond 
hear  and  hail  of  the  barque,  —  and  then,  conversing 
agreeably  with  one  another,  we  took  our  time  about  it, 
and  trudged  leisurely  along. 

I  have  said  that  Ben  was  a  bit  of  a  sportsman.  Of 
course  then  our  excursion  was  a  hunting  one,  and  we 
carried  the  imi)lements  of  the  chase,  —  though  it  woul(!l 
hardly  be  just  to  give  this  title  to  tlie  weapons  wa 
carried.  Ben  shouldered  a  ship's  musket  of  very 
large  dimensions,  —  an  old  piece  of  Queen  Anne,  with 
a  llint-loi-k  and  heavy  iron  ramrod,  —  the  whole  mak.i 
ing  a  load  that  would  have  borne  down  a  grenadier ; 
but  Ben  Avas  strong  enough  to  have  carried  a  small 
cannon,  and  thought  nothing  of  the  weight.  For  me 
he  had  provided  a  stout  jjistol,  —  such  as  are  used  by 
dragoons,  and  by  sailors  when  boarding  an  enemy's 
ship,  —  and  tliese  were  our  weapons.  For  the  rest  we 
had  about  a  pound  of  small  shot,  which  my  companioa 
9* 


102  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

carried  in  his  tobacco-pouch,  and  a  quantity  of  powder 
safely  corked  in  a  bottle  that  had  once  held  that 
favoi'itc  English  beverage  "  ginger  beer,"  and  the  iden- 
tity of  whose  stout  form  and  gray  complexion  could 
not  be  mistaken  even  in  the  forests  of  Africa.  For 
wadding  Ave  had  brought  with  us  some  oakum,  well 
"flaxed"  out,  and  thus  armed  and  equipped  we  were 
ready  to  do  slaughter  upon  all  birds  and  beasts  that 
should  chance  to  come  in  our  way. 

"We  walked  a  good  distance  without  seeing  either  one 
or  the  other,  though  we  met  with  many  signs  and  traces 
of  both.  We  were  constantly  within  hearing  of  birds, 
that  sang  or  chattered  among  the  trees,  both  above  our 
heads  and  around  us.  From  the  noises  we  knew  we 
were  within  shot  of  them,  but  we  could  not  see  a  feather 
to  guide  us  in  taking  aim.  The  reason  of  this  was, 
that  the  leaves  were  so  thick  upon  the  trees  the  birds 
were  hidden  by  them.  No  doubt  they  saw  us  well 
enougli,  and  no  doubt  we  might  have  seen  them,  had 
we  known  the  exact  spot  in  which  to  look ;  for  it  is  a 
well-known  fact,  that  Nature  has  given  to  her  wild 
creatures  such  forms  and  colors  as  peculiarly  adapt 
them  to  their  several  haunts ;  as  the  brown  of  the  hare, 
resembling  the  withered  gorse  or  fallow,  the  speckle  of 
the  partridge,  to  assimilate  it  to  the  stubble,  and  many 
other  examples  that  might  be  adduced.  In  tropic 
climes  this  law  of  Nature  is  also  carried  out.  The 
spotted  leopard  or  panther,  though  of  bright  colors  that 
strike  the  eye  Avhen  the  animal  is  viewed  in  its  cage, 
are  scarce  discernible  among  the  red  and  yellow  leaves 
that   strew  the  ground  in  a  forest;  the  parrots  that 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  103 

frequent  the  evergreen  foliage  are  themselves  of  this 
color ;  while  others  Avho  haunt  more  upon  rocks,  or 
the  gray  and  brown  trunks  of  giant  trees,  are  usually 
of  more  sombre  hue,  —  for  there  are  rock-parrots  both 
in  Africa  and  America,  as  well  as  those  that  dwell  only 
among  trees. 

For  tliis  reason  my  companion  and  I  went  a  long 
way  without  finding  a  featlier.  It  was  not  destined, 
however,  that  we  should  be  altogether  unsuccessful  in 
our  day's  sport.  Our  patience  was  at  length  rewarded 
by  the  sight  of  a  large  dark-colored  bird,  which  we 
observed  sitting  very  quietly  upon  a  tree  that  was  dead 
and  leafless,  though  still  standing.  The  bird  was  upon 
one  of  the  lower  branches,  and  apparently  buried  in 
deep  thought ;  for  it  sat  wdthout  moving  either  head  or 
neck,  limb  or  wing. 

I  stopped  a  little  behind,  and  Ben  advanced  to  obtain 
a  shot.  He  possessed  some  hunter  craft;  for,  as  he 
had  told  me,  he  had  done  a  little  poaching  in  his 
younger  days,  and  this  skill  now  stood  him  in  stead. 
Keeping  behind  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  and  silently 
gliding  from  one  to  another,  he  at  length  arrived  within 
shot  of  the  one  on  which  the  bird  was  perched.  The 
simple  creature  appeared  to  take  no  heed  of  him, 
although  part  of  his  body  was  several  times  within 
sight  of  it,  and  any  English  bird  would  have  long 
before  taken  to  flight.  Ben  crept  very  near,  in  order 
to  make  sure  of  the  shot.  He  concluded  that  we  were 
not  likely  to  meet  with  many  chances,  and,  as  he  was 
resolved  not  to  go  back  empty-lianded,  he  was  deter- 
mined to  be  on  the  safe  side  and  not  make  a  miss  of  it» 


104  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

But  if  the  bird  liad  been  dead  and  stuffed  it  could  not 
have  awaited  hhn  more  composedly,  and  Ben  crept  on 
until  he  was  within  about  a  cable's  length  from  the 
dead  tree.  He  then  levelled  his  "  Queen  Anne  "  and 
fired,  and,  since  it  was  almost  impossible  for  him  to 
have  missed,  the  bird  fell  to  the  shot,  as  an  Irishman 
might  say,  "  killed  dead." 

Of  course  we  both  ran  forward  and  secured  the 
prize ;  though  neither  of  us  knew  what  sort  of  game 
we  had  got.  It  was  a  very  large  bird,  —  quite  as  big 
as  a  turkey,  —  and  bore  considerable  resemblance  to 
one,  being  of  a  red  color  about  the  head  and  neck,  and 
upon  these  parts  having  no  feathers. 

Ben  believed  it  was  a  turkey,  —  a  wild  one,  of  course  ; 
but  I  could  not  agree  with  him  in  this  point,  for  I  re- 
membered having  read  that  wild  turkeys  are  found 
only  in  America  and  Australia,  and  that  there  are  none 
in  Africa  ;  though  thei'e  are  bustards  and  floricans,  and 
several  other  kinds  that  bear  considerable  resemblance 
to  turkeys,  and  hence  are  often  called  by  the  name.  It 
might  be  one  of  these,  Ave  concluded,  and  therefore  just 
as  good  to  eat  as  a  turkey.  So,  with  this  idea,  my 
companion  tied  the  huge  bird  across  his  shoulders,  and, 
once  more  loading  his  musket,  we  kept  on. 

We  had  not  proceeded  more  than  ten  paces  farther 
when  we  came  upon  the  carcass  of  an  animal,  badly 
torn  and  partially  devoured.  It  looked  like  it  had  been 
a  deer,  and  Ben  said  that  it  was  one  ;  but  as  I  observed 
that  its  horns  were  without  antlers,  and  as  I  had  also 
read  that  there  are  no  deer  in  Africa,  except  one  spe- 
cies far  north  of  where  we  were,  I  told  Ben  that  I 


RAX    AWAY    TO    ?^.:\.  105 

thought  the  carcass  must  be  that  of  an  antelope ;  for 
these  animals  take  the  place  of  deer  on  the  African 
continent,  and  sailors,  who  know  no  better,  call  them 
deer.  Ben  had  never  heard  of  an  antelope,  though  he 
had  of  a  gazelle ;  and  if  I  had  called  it  by  this  name 
he  might  have  agreed  with  me. 

An  "  ant'lope,"  however,  he  knew  nothing  about ; 
and  as  his  hunter  pride  would  have  been  offended  by 
contradiction,  I  allowed  him  to  persist  in  calling  it  a 
deer. 

"  Ay,  ay  !  it  be  a  deer,  Will,"  he  said  emphatically, 
as  we  walked  away  from  it,  — "  nothin'  else,  my  boy. 
"VVliat  a  pity  we  can't  scare  up  a  livin'  'un,  —  that  'ud 
be  a  nice  cargo  for  our  return  trip,  w'ud  n't,  my  lad  ?  " 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  mechanically,  without  hearing 
what  Ben  said ;  for  I  was  at  that  moment  thinking  of 
something  else. 

We  had  observed  how  the  carcass  of  the  antelope  — 
for  antelope  it  was  —  had  been  mangled  and  half  eaten 
by  some  preying  creature.  Ben  said  it  was  wolves  or 
jackals.  Likely  one  or  more  of  these  had  made  a  meal 
upon  it ;  but  there  was  one  thing  I  had  particularly 
noticed,  and  that  was  the  eyes.  I  should  rather  say 
the  places  where  the  eyes  had  been  ;  for  the  eyes  them' 
selves  were  quite  gone,  and  the  sockets  cleaned  out  to 
the  very  bottom.  Now,  I  reasoned  that  no  quadruped 
could  do  this.  The  holes  were  too  small  even  for  a 
jackal  to  get  his  slender  snout  into.  The  work  must 
have  been  done  by  the  beak  of  a  bird ;  and  what  sort 
of  bird  ?     AVhy,  a  vulture,  of  course  ! 

Now  what  kind  of  bird  was  Ben  carrying  upon  his 


lOG  K.vy    AAVAY    TO    SEA. 

back  ?  Beyond  all  doubt  it  was  a  vulture  !  Tlie  local- 
ity in  which  we  had  found  it,  Avith  the  carcass  near  at 
hand  ;  its  stupid  behavior  in  allowing  the  hunter  to 
approach  so  near ;  its  general  appearance,  with  the 
naked  head  and  neck ;  all  these  points  confirmed  my 
suspicion.  I  had  read  that  such  is  the  habit  of  vul- 
tures ;  that  they  are  so  tame  in  some  parts  of  the 
world,  that  one  can  get  near  enough  to  knock  them 
over  with  a  stick ;  and  this  is  especially  the  case  ifn- 
mediately  after  they  have  gorged  themselves  with 
carrion.  Now  the  appearance  of  the  carcass  indicated 
that  this  very  bird  had  just  finished  its  breakfast,  and 
that  would  account  for  its  tameness.  Beyond  a  doubt, 
our  game  was  a  vulture  ! 

I  had  arrived  at  this  conviction,  but  disliked  to  de- 
clare it  to  my  companion,  and  walked  on  after  him, 
saying  nothing.  I  thought  I  would  leave  him  to  find 
it  out  for  himself. 

I  had  not  long  to  wait  for  this  event.  Before  we  had 
advanced  a  hundred  paces,  I  saw  Ben  suddenly  untie 
the  cord  by  which  the  bird  was  fastened,  and,  lifting  it 
over  his  shoulders,  hold  the  body  up  nearer  his  nose,  — 
then,  uttering  a  loud  exclamation,  he  pitched  the  game 
as  far  from  him  as  he  could,  at  the  same  time  crying 
out :  — 

"  Turkey,  i'deed,  —  dang  it.  Will,  'tan't  no  turkey. 
Shiver  my  timbers  if  'tan't  a  stinkin'  vidter  !  " 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  107 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


I  PRETENDED  to  express  surprise,  though  I  was 
bursting  with  laughter,  for  I  had  become  quite  satisfied 
as  to  the  species  of  the  bird.  Indeed,  the  horrid  efflu- 
vium that  came  from  the  filthy  creature,  as  my  com- 
panion carried  it  in  front  of  me,  was  quite  as  strong  as 
that  of  the  carrion  itself;  and  it  was  this  reaching  Ben's 
nostrils  that  first  led  him  to  suspect  the  genuineness  of 
the  game.  Ben  would  have  known  the  bird  had  it 
been  the  Pondicherry  vulture,  —  for  be  had  been  to  the 
East  Indies,  and  had  seen  the  latter,  —  or  the  griffon 
vulture,  of  yellowish  color,  Avhich  he  had  seen  at  Gib- 
raltar, and  on  the  Nile ;  but  this  one  was  smaller  than 
either,  and  was  far  more  like  a  turkey  than  they.  It 
was  in  reality  a  kind  of  vulture  that  is  found  in  these 
parts  of  Africa,  and  is  not  known  any^'here  else ;  for 
since  that  time  I  have  visited  most  parts  of  the  world, 
and  never  saw  another  of  the  kind.  No  wonder,  then, 
my  companion  was  deceived,  —  for  he  had  never  been 
at  the  place  before,  and  had  never  seen  the  bird,  —  but 
now  that  he  had  smelt  it,  there  could  be  no  longer  any 
deception.  No  game  could  have  emitted  such  an  odor. 
It  was  nothing  else  than  a  stinking  vulture. 

The  expression  upon  Ben's  face  as  he  flung  the  crea- 
ture from  him  was  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  and  I 


108  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

could  have  laugliccl  at  liim  with  all  my  might,  but  that 
I  did  not  wish  to  add  to  my  companion's  chagrin.  I 
therefore  approached  the  bird,  and,  examining  it  with  a 
look  of  pretended  surprise,  gave  an  affirmative  rejoin- 
der to  Ben's  emphatic  declaration.  Leaving  it  where 
it  had  been  thrown,  we  again  faced  forward,  and  jogged 
leisurely  along  in  hopes  of  finding  some  sweeter  game. 

We  had  not  gone  much  farther  when  we  entered  a 

forest  of  palm-trees,  and  one  of  the  ardent  longings  of 

my  youth  here  met  with  its  full  gratification.     If  there 

was  anything  in  foreign  lands  I  had  longed  particularly 

to  behold,  it  was  a  forest  of  palm-trees.     I  had  heard 

that  such  existed  in  vSouth  America,  Africa,  and  in  the 

Indian  countries,  and  I  had  read  some  descriptions  of 

them.     But  I  now   perceived  that  the  most  glowing 

description  can  impart  but  a  very  imperfect  idea  of  the 

beautiful  reality,  for  no  work  of  Nature  I  have  ever 

looked  upon  has  given  me  more  delight  than  this,  — 

the  aspect  of  a  palm  wood.     There  are  many  species  of 

palms  that  do  not  gi-ow  in  forests,  but  only  as  single 

individuals  or  groups  of  two  or  three  together,  in  the 

midst  of  other  trees.     Of  course,  too,  there  are  many 

sorts  of  palms  more  or  less  fine  looking,  since  it  is 

believed  that  there  are  at  least  one  thousand  species 

in  existence.     All  are  not  equally  beautiful  to  look 

upon,  for  some  are  stunted,  others  have  crooked  stems ; 

still  others  have  short,  misshapen  trunks  ;  and  not  a 

few  appear  with   their  leaves  on  the  surface  of  the 

ground,  as  if  without  stems  altogether. 

The  sort  of  palm,  however,  that  constituted  the  forest 
into  which  my  companion  and  I  had  now  penetrated. 


HAN    AWxVY    TO    SKA.  109 

was  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  the  ■whole  tribe.  I 
did  not  then  know  what  species  it  Avas,  but  since  I  have 
learnt  all  about  it.  It  was  no  other  than  the  oil-palm, 
called  by  the  natives  of  "Western  Africa  the  "  Jfava" 
and  by  botanists  "  Elais  Guiniensis"  which,  Avhen  trans- 
lated into  plain  English,  means  the  "oil-palm  of  Guinea." 

It  is  a  palm  that  somewhat  resembles  the  beautiful 
cocoa,  and  by  botanists  is  placed  in  the  same  family. 
The  trunk  is  very  tall,  of  less  than  a  foot  in  diameter, 
and  rising  in  a  sti-aight  shaft  to  the  height  of  nearly  a 
hundi-cd  feet.  On  the  top  is  a  splendid  head  of  leaves 
like  gigantic  ostrich  plumes,  that  gracefully  curve  over 
on  all  sides,  foi'ming  a  shape  like  a  parachute.  Each 
leaf  is  full  live  yards  in  length,  and  of  the  kind  called 
pinnate,  —  that  is,  divided  into  numerous  leaflets,  each 
of  which  is  itself  more  than  a  foot  and  a  half  long, 
shaped  like  the  blade  of  a  rapier.  Under  the  shadow 
of  this  graceful  plumage  the  fruit  is  produced,  just  be- 
low the  point  Avhere  the  leaves  radiate  from  the  stem. 
The  fruit  is  a  nut,  about  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  but 
of  a  regular  oval  form,  and  growing  in  large  clusters, 
after  the  manner  of  grapes.  Around  the  shell  is  a  thick 
fleshy  covering,  very  similar  to  that  which  encloses  the 
common  walnut,  only  more  of  an  oily  substance  and 
glutinous  texture,  and  it  is  from  tliis  very  substance  that 
the  oil  is  manufactured.  Oil  can  also  be  extracted  from 
the  kernel,  and'  t|Jiis  last,  though  more  difficult  to  be 
obtained,  is  of  a  superior  quality  than  that  taken  from 
the  i)ulp  of  the  rind. 

^Nothing  in  the  vegetable  world  can  be  more  beautiful 
than  a  full-grown  specimen  of  the  oil-palm,  with  its 
10 


110  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

cluster  of  ripe  fruit,  tlielr  bright  yellow  color  contrast- 
ing finely  with  the  deep  green  of  its  long  curving  fronds, 
that  seem  intended,  as  it  were,  to  protect  the  rich  bunch- 
es from  the  too  powerful  rays  of  a  tropic  sun.  I  say 
nothing  in  the  vegetable  world  can  be  more  beautiful 
than  this,  unless,  indeed,  it  be  a  whole  forest  of  such 
trees  ;  just  such  a  forest  as  my  companion  and  I  had 
now  entered.  Even  the  rude  sailor  was  impressed  by 
the  grandeur  of  the  spectacle  that  surrounded  us,  and  we 
both  stopped  mechanically  to  gaze  upon  and  admire  it. 

Far  as  the  eye  could  reach  rose  a  succession  of 
straight  trunks,  that  looked  as  if  they  had  been  shaped 
by  mechanical  skill  and  were  only  columns  supporting 
the  verdant  canopy  above,  and  this  canopy,  from  the 
curving  of  the  fronds  and  the  regular  division  of  the 
leaflets,  appeared  to  form  grand  arches,  fretted  and 
chased  in  the  most  elaborate  manner.  From  the  col- 
umns, near  their  tops,  hung  the  rich  yellow  clusters, 
like  golden  grapes,  their  brilliant  color  adding  to  the 
general  effect,  while  the  ground  underneath  was  strewed 
with  thousands  of  the  egg-like  nuts,  that  had  fallen 
from  over  ripeness,  and  lay  scattered  over  the  surface. 
It  looked  like  some  grand  temple  of  Ceres,  some  gigan- 
tic orchard  of  Nature's  own  planting ! 

I  have  thought  —  but  long  after  that  time  —  I  have 
thought  that  if  King  Dingo  Bingo  had  but  set  his  poor 
captives,  and  his  bloody  myi'midons  as  well,  to  gather 
that  golden  crop,  to  press  the  oil  from  those  pulpy  peri- 
carps, what  a  fortune  he  might  have  been  honestly  the 
master  of,  and  what  unhappiness  he  might  have  spared 
to  thousands  in  whose  misery  alone  he  was  now  making 
traffic ! 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  HI 


CHAPTER    XIX. 


FoK  more  than  a  mile  we  walked  througli  this  won- 
derful wood,  and,  although  we  had  admired  it  so  much 
on  first  entering  it,  we  were  now  very  desirous  of  get- 
ting out  of  it.  It  was  not  that  it  was  a  gloomy  forest ; 
on  the  contrary,  it  was  rather  cheerful,  for  the  light, 
pinnated  leaves  permitted  the  sun  to  shine  through,  and 
just  screened  his  rays  sufficiently  to  make  it  pleasant 
and  cool.  It  was  therefore  rather  cheerful  than  gloomy. 
The  reason  why  we  so  soon  grew  tired  of  it  was,  that 
it  was  anything  but  agreeable  under  foot.  The  ground, 
as  I  have  already  remarked,  was  strewed  with  the  fall- 
en fruits.  The  whole  surface  Avas  literally  covered 
with  them,  just  like  an  apple-orchard  after  a  stormy 
night,  only  that  the  palm-nuts  lay  thicker  upon  the 
ground  than  I  have  ever  seen  apples,  —  so  thick  that 
there  was  no  picking  of  steps  among  them,  and  in  some 
places  it  was  impossible  to  set  down  tlie  foot  without 
treading  upon  and  crushing  tliem.  Now  the  pulpy 
outer  part,  when  thus  crushed,  is  almost  as  gummy  and 
sticky  as  cobblers'  wax,  and  the  consequence  was,  that 
walking  over  the  nuts  was  no  easy  matter,  —  in  sliort, 
it  was  both  difficult  and  disagreeable.  Sometimes  a 
whole  cluster  of  them  would  adlicre  to  the  soles  of  our 


112  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

shoes,  or,  Klipping  from  under  our  feet,  would  threaten 
us  with  a  full,  and  thus  our  advance  was  continually 
impeded  or  interrupted.  It  was  quite  as  difficult  to 
make  way  as  it  would  have  been  through  deep  snow 
or  over  ice,  and  it  must  have  taken  us  a  full  hour  to  get 
to  the  other  side  of  the  wood. 

We  reached  it  at  length,  and  were  very  glad  to  see 
trees  of  another  kind,  which,  although  far  less  beautiful 
than  the  palms,  and  with  far  more  gloomy  shadows 
beneath  them,  grew  upon  ground  that  offered  us  good 
footing,  and  we  were  now  able  to  proceed  without  the 
danger  of  falling  at  every  step,  or  spraining  our  ankles. 

Through  this  shadowy  forest  we  kept  on,  but  as  no 
game  of  any  kind  was  seen  we  soon  became  tired  of  it, 
as  we  had  been  of  the  palms.  In  fact,  travelling 
through  thick  timber  is  very  tiresome  to  persons  who 
are  not  used  to  it,  —  tliat  is,  to  those  who  have  not  been 
reared  in  a  forest-covered  country,  or  used  to  a  forest 
life.  To  such,  the  scene,  however  striking  at  first,  how- 
ever pictui'esque  it  may  be,  soon  aj^pears  tame  and 
monotonous.  There  is  a  great  sameness  in  it ;  —  the 
trees  are  alike,  the  vistas  that  now  and  then  open  out 
all  resemble  one  anotlier ;  the  ground,  bare  of  grass  or 
covered  with  withered  leaves,  presents  but  little  attrac- 
tions, either  to  the  foot  or  the  eye,  and  the  traveller 
wearies  of  listening  to  his  own  tracks,  oft  repeated,  and 
longs  for  a  piece  of  open  ground  where  he  may  look 
upon  the  blue  sky  above  him,  and  press  the  green  car- 
pet of  grass  beneath  his  feet. 

Just  in  this  wise  did  my  companion  and  myself  long 
to  get  out  of  the  deep  wood  and  into  some  more  open 


RAN    A  WAV    TO    Si:  A.  113 

kind  of  country,  where  we  might  see  to  a  good  distance 
around  us,  and  where  Ben  thouglit  we  should  be  far 
more  likely  to  find  game. 

Our  longings  were  gratified.  We  had  advanced  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  the  palm-wood,  when  the 
forest  appeared  to  end  in  front  of  us.  We  saw  the  sun 
streaming  through  the  trees,  and  a  bit  of  blue  sky  as 
big  as  a  main-sail,  and  from  this  we  knew  there  was  an 
opening  in  the  timber. 

We  hastened  forward  with  joj-ful  anticipations  ;  and 
a  hundred  yards  farther  on  came  out  upon  the  edge  of 
a  beautiful  plain,  that  stretched  as  far  beyond  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  with  scarcely  a  tree  to  intercept  the 
prospect.  Here  and  there  only  stood  single  trees,  or 
little  clumps,  just  as  if  the  plain  Avas  a  great  park  and 
these  had  been  planted ;  but  there  was  no  house  within 
sight,  nor  any  sign  of  the  presence  of  man. 

We  saAV  some  animals,  however,  upon  the  plain,  which 
my  companion  believed  to  be  deer ;  but  I  again  differed 
with  him  about  the  kind,  for  I  knew  by  their  horns  that 
they  were  antelopes. 

No  matter  about  that, — we  were  both  equally  glad 
to  see  them,  —  and  wliether  they  proved  to  be  doer  or 
antelopes,  we  were  desirous  of  having  a  shot  at  them. 

We  stopped  for  a  while,  under  cover  of  the  bushes,  to 
reconnoitre  and  plan  how  we  might  approach  them.  Of 
course  there  was  no  other  way  than  to  "  stalk  "  them ; 
and  that  could  only  be  done  by  taking  advantage  of 
the  little  copses  of  trees  that  were  interspersed  over 
the  plain.  One  of  these,  we  noticed,  was  not  very 
distant  from  the  spot  where   the  herd  was  browsing, 

10* 


114  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

and  we  had  fine  hoj^es  of  being  able  to  get  into  it  un- 
observed. 

As  soon  as  we  liad  taken  all  the  bearings  we  set  out ; 
and  after  gliding  from  clump  to  clump,  —  sometimes  on 
our  feet,  in  crouching  attitude,  and  sometimes  crawling 
upon  our  hands  and  knees,  —  we  at  length  got  behind 
the  particular  grove  near  wliich  was  the  game. 

We  took  great  pains  to  worm  our  way  through  the 
copse,  for  it  was  a  perfect  thicket,  and  so  full  of  thorny 
trees,  such  as  acacias  and  aloes,  that  we  got  well 
scratched  for  our  pains. 

At  length,  however,  we  came  near  enough  to  the 
other  side  for  our  purpose ;  and,  with  quick-beating 
pulses,  we  perceived  that  the  antelopes  had  kept  the 
ground,  and  Avere  now  within  range  of  the  "  Queen 
Anne."  Of  course  I  had  no  design  of  firing  my  pistol. 
That  would  only  have  been  to  waste  powder  and  shot ; 
and  I  had  merely  kept  along  with  Ben  to  be  near  and 
enjoy  the  sport. 

Ben  was  not  slow  about  the  work.  He  saw  that 
there  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  for  the  timid  antelopes 
were  seen  to  toss  up  their  tiny  snouts  and  snufF  the  gale, 
as  if  they  suspected  that  some  enemy  was  near. 

My  companion  just  then  protruded  the  muzzle  of 
"  Queen  Anne  "  through  a  bush,  and,  resting  the  long 
barrel  upon  a  branch,  took  aim  and  blazed  away. 

And  the  herd  ran  away  —  every  hoof  and  bom  of 
them  —  so  fast,  that  before  the  echoes  of  the  huge 
musket  had  died  among  the  trees  of  the  forest,  there 
was  not  an  antelope  in  sight  upon  that  wide  plain,  nor 
any  other  living  creatui'C  except  Ben  Brace  and  myself! 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  115 

Ben  tliouglit  he  must  have  hit  the  animal  at  which  he 
had  aimed ;  but  no  sportsman  likes  to  acknowledge  that 
he  has  missed  entirely ;  and  if  we  were  to  believe 
the  accounts  of  hunters,  there  must  be  an  incredible 
number  of  wounded  beasts  and  birds  that  contrive  to 
make  their  escape. 

The  fact  Avas,  that  Ben's  shot  was  too  small  for  such 
game ;  and  if  he  had  hit  a  hundred  times  with  it,  he 
could  not  have  killed  so  large  an  animal  as  thesa 
antelopes  Avere. 


116  KAN   AAVAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER   XX. 


Ben  was  now  sorry  lie  had  not  brought  a  bullet  with 
him,  or,  at  all  events,  some  slugs.  Larger  shot  he 
could  not  have  brought,  as  there  was  none  on  board  the 
barque.  But,  indeed,  in  stai'ting  out  our  ambition  had 
not  soared  so  high ;  neither  my  companion  nor  I  had 
anticipated  meeting  such  fine  game  as  a  herd  of  ante- 
lopes, and  we  had  prepared  ourselves  just  as  we  should 
have  done  for  a  day's  fowling  about  the  do^vns  of  Poi'ts- 
mouth.  Birds  we  expected  would  be  the  principal 
game  to  be  met  with,  and  therefore  birds,  and  small 
ones'  only,  had  anything  to  fear  from  us.  It  is  not 
likely  tliat  Ben  Avould  have  shot  the  vulture  had  he  not 
crept  so  near ;  and  then,  even  the  small  shot,  projected 
so  powerfully  by  the  huge  jiiece,  had  jienetrated  its 
body  and  killed  it. 

We  therefore  greatly  regretted  not  having  jirovided 
ourselves  with  "  slugs,"  or  a  bullet  or  two,  out  of  which 
we  could  easily  have  made  tliem. 

Regrets  were  to  no  purpose,  however.  We  were  too 
far  from  the  barque  to  go  back  for  them.  It  would  be 
no  joke  walking  so  far  in  the  great  heat  that  there  was. 
Besides,  by  going  directly  back,  we  should  have  to 
pass  once  more  through  the  palm-wood,  and  this  we  had 


RAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  117 

determined  to  avoid  by  going  round  it  on  our  return. 
No ;  Ave  could  not  think  of  taking  tlie  back-track  just 
then.  "\Ve  must  do  the  best  Ave  could  Avithout  the  slugs  ; 
and,  so  resolving,  Ben  once  more  loaded  "  Queen 
Anne  "  Avitli  the  snipe-shot,  and  A\'e  marched  on. 

We  had  not  gone  very  far  Avlien  a  singidar  sort  of  a 
tree  drew  our  attention.  It  stood  all  alone,  though 
there  were  others  of  a  similar  kind  at  no  great  distance. 
The  others,  however,  Avere  much  smaller,  and  it  Avas 
the  largest  that  had  drawn  our  attention.  Indeed, 
though  the  smaller  trees  bore  a  general  resemblance  to 
this  one,  —  so  that  you  could  tell  they  Avere  of  the  same 
kind,  —  yet  they  differed  A'ery  considerably  from  it,  both 
in  form  and  aspect ;  and,  but  for  the  peculiarity  of  the 
leaves,  one  might  have  taken  them  for  trees  of  altogeth- 
er distinct  species.  The  leaA-es  of  both,  hoAvcA'er,  Avere 
exactly  alike,  and  from  this  and  other  indications  it  was 
eA'ident  that  both  Avere  trees  of  the  same  kind,  only  that 
a  difference  of  age  had  created  a  difference  in  their 
aspect,  —  as  great  as  Avould  be  between  a  chubby,  rosy- 
cheeked  child  and  a  Avrinkled  old  man  of  eighty.  The 
small  trees,  and  consequently  the  younger  ones,  rose 
upon  a  straight,  round  stem,  only  a  feAv  feet  in  height. 
Each  was  about  the  height  of  a  full-groAvn  man,  Avhile 
the  stem  itself,  or  trunk  as  it  should  more  properly  be 
called,  Avas  full  as  thick  as  a  stout  man's  body ;  and, 
what  Avas  curious  in  a  tree,  it  Avas  even  thicker  at  the 
top  than  at  the  base,  as  if  it  had  been  taken  out  of  the 
gi'ound  and  ro-planted  AATong  end  upAvards !  Upon 
this  clumsy-looking  trunk  there  Avas  not  a  single  branch, 
not  even  a  twig,  but  just  upon  its  top  gi-ew  out  a  vast 


118  RAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA. 

tuft  of  long,  straight  spikes  that  resombled  broad-, 
sword  blades,  only  that  they  were  of  a  green  color. 
They  pointed  in  every  direction,  radiating  from  a  com- 
mon centre,  so  as  to  form  a  large  head  somewhat 
romidish,  or  globe-shaped.  Any  one  who  has  seen  an 
aloe  or  a  yucca-plant  will  be  able  to  form  some  idea  of 
the  foliage  of  the  singular  tree  upon  which  my  com- 
panion and  I  stood  gazing  in  wonderment.  The  leaves 
were  more  like  those  of  the  yucca  than  the  aloe, — 
indeed,  so  like  the  yucca  was  the  whole  tree,  that,  from 
what  I  afterwards  saw  of  yucca-trees  in  Mexico  and 
South  America,  I  am  convinced  that  these  were  very 
near  the  same  kind,  —  that  is,  they  were  of  the  same 
habit  and  family,  though,  as  I  also  learned  afterwards, 
esteemed  different  by  botanists. 

Then  I  had  never  seen  a  yucca,  much  less  a  tree  of 
the  kind  we  were  gazing  at;  of  course  I  could  only 
guess  at  what  they  might  be. 

Ben  thought  they  were  palms  ;  but  Ben  was  wrong 
again,  for  he  was  no  great  discriminator  of  genus  or 
species.  His  oiiinion  was  based  upon  the  general 
aspect  which  the  trees  —  that  is,  the  smaller  ones  — 
presented.  Certainly,  with  their  single,  regularly  round- 
ed stem,  crowned  by  the  radiating  circle  of  leaves, 
they  had  somethmg  of  the  peculiar  look  of  palm-trees, 
and  a  person  entirely  ignorant  of  botany,  who  had 
never  seen  one  of  the  sort  before,  would,  in  all  likelihood, 
have  pronounced  as  my  companion  had  done,  and  called 
them  palms.  In  the  eyes  of  a  jolly  tar,  all  trees  that 
have  this  radiating  foliage,  such  as  aloes,  and  yuccas, 
and  the  zamias  of  South  Africa,  ai-e  palm-trees ;  there- 


EAX   AWAY   TO    SEA.  119' 

fore  it  was  natural  for  Ben  to  call  the  trees  in  question 
by  this  name.  Of  course  he  saw  they  were  different 
from  the  oil-palms  among  which  he  had  been  wander- 
ing; but  Ben  knew  there  were  several  sorts  of  palm- 
trees,  although  he  would  not  have  believed  it  had  he 
been  told  there  were  a  thousand.  I  should  have  been 
compelled  to  agree  with  Ben,  and  believe  these  strange 
trees  to  be  veritable  palms,  —  for  I  was  no  more  of  a 
botanist  than  he,  —  but,  odd  as  it  may  ajiiiear,  I  was 
able  to  tell  that  they  were  not  palms ;  and,  more  than 
that,  able  to  tell  what  sort  of  trees  they  actually  were. 
This  knowledge  I  derived  from  a  somewhat  singular 
circumstance,  which  I  shall  relate. 

Among  the  small  collection  of  my  boy-books  there 
had  been  one  that  treated  of  the  "  Wonders  of  Nature." 
It  had  been  my  favorite,  and  I  had  read  it  through  and 
through  and  over  and  over  again  a  dozen  times,  I  am 
sure.  Among  these  "  wonders  "  figured  a  remarkable 
tree,  which  was  said  to  grow  in  the  Canary  Islands,  and 
was  known  as  the  "  dragon-tree  of  Oritava."  It  was 
described  by  the  celebrated  traveller,  Humboldt,  who 
measured  it,  and  found  its  trunk  to  be  forty-five  feet  in 
girth,  and  the  tree  itself  about  fifty  in  height.  It  was 
said  to  yield,  when  cut  or  tapped,  a  red  juice  resembling 
blood,  and  to  which  the  name  of  "  dragon's-blood "  has 
been  given  ;  hence  the  tree  itself  is  called  the  "  dragon- 
tree,"  or  sometimes  the  "  dragon's-blood-tree,"  —  though 
it  is  to  be  observed,  that  several  other  kinds  of  trees  that 
give  out  a  red  juice  are  also  known  by  this  name.  The 
trunk  of  this  tree,  said  the  traveller,  rose  almost  of  equal 
thickness  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet,  when  it  divided 


120  ^.AN   AWAY   TO    SKA. 

into  a  great  number  of  short,  thick  branches,  tliat  sep- 
arated from  the  main  stem  like  the  l)ranches  of  a 
candelabrum,  and  upon  the  end  of  each  of  tliese  was  a 
thick  tuft  of  the  stiff,  sv.^ord-shaped  leaves, — the  same 
as  I  have  above  described.  Out  of  the  midst  of  these 
leaves  grew  the  panicles,  or  flower-spikes,  and  the 
bunches  of  small,  nut-like  fruit. 

Now  the  strangest  part  of  Humboldt's  account  was, 
that  this  individual  tree  was  known  to  the  Spaniards 
on  their  first  discovery  of  the  Canary  Islands,  —  more 
than  four  centuries  ago,  —  and  that  from  that  time  to 
the  present  it  has  increased  scarce  perceptibly  in  dimen- 
sions. Hence  the  great  traveller  infers  that  it  must  be 
one  of  the  oldest  trees  in  the  world,  —  perhaps  as  old 
as  the  earth  itself! 

Now  all  this  account,  except  the  last  part  of  it, — 
which  of  course  is  only  a  philosophic  conjecture,  —  I 
believe  to  be  true,  for  I  have  myself  visited  the  Cana- 
ries and  looked  upon  this  vegetable  wonder,  which  is 
still  standing  near  the  town  of  Oritava,  in  the  island  of 
Teneriffe.  Unfortunately,  since  Humboldt's  visit,  the 
tree,  instead  of  increasing  in  dimensions,  has  become 
less.  During  a  storm,  in  the  month  of  July,  1819,  one 
half  of  its  enormous  crown  was  broken  off  by  the  wind, 
but  the  tree  still  continues  to  grow  ;  and,  as  it  is  a  great 
favorite  of  the  inhabitants,  the  wound  has  been  plastered 
up,  and  the  date  of  the  misfortune  inscribed  over  the 
spot. 

No  doubt  the  great  care  taken  of  tliis  venerable 
vegetable  will  insure  its  surviving  for  another  century 
at  least ! 


KAN    A^VAY    TO    SF.A.  121 

Now  }-ou  ■will  be  wondering  what  all  tliis  after- 
knowledge  about  the  dragon-tree  of  Oritava  has  to  do 
with  Ben  Brace,  myself,  or  the  trees  that  had  fixed  our 
attention  on  the  plain.  I  shall  tell  you  then  what  it 
has  to  do  with  us.  In  the  book  of  which  I  have  spoken 
there  was  a  picture  given  of  the  Oritava  tree.  It  was 
but  a  rude  affair,  —  a  common  woodcut,  —  but  for  all 
that  it  gave  a  very  good  idea  of  the  aspect  of  the  great 
vegetable ;  and  I  well  remembered  every  leaf  and 
branch  of  it,  —  so  well  that,  when  I  afterwards  saw  the 
tree  itself,  I  recognized  it  at  once.  But  what  was  still 
more  singular  ;  as  soon  as  I  set  my  eyes  upon  the  large 
tree  that  had  brought  my  companion  and  myself  to  a 
stand,  the  old  picture  came  vividly  before  my  mind, 
and  I  was  convinced  that  it  was  a  tree  of  the  same  sort 
as  that  described  in  my  book.  Yes ;  there  was  the 
thick,  stout  trunk,  all  gnai-led  and  knotted  with  the 
marks  of  where  the  leaves  had  once  growTi,  —  there 
were  the  short,  club-like  branches,  separating  from 
each  other  at  the  head,  —  at  the  blunt  ends  of  each 
were  the  fascicles  of  bayonet-shaped  leaves,  and  the 
panicles  of  greenish-white  flowers,  —  all  exactly  as  in 
the  picture !  I  was  convinced  that  the  venerable 
vegetable  before  us  was  no  palm,  but  a  true  dragon- 
tree;  perhaps  as  old  as  that  of  Oi'itava. 


11 


122  TIAN   AAVAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTEE    XXI. 


I  COMMUNICATED  my  convictions  to  Ben,  who  still 
persisted  in  calling  the  tree  a  palm.  How  should  I 
know  what  sort  of  a  tree  it  was,  since  I  had  never  seen 
one  before  ?  I  told  Ben  of  the  book  and  the  picture, 
but  he  was  still  incredulous. 

"  "Well,  then,"  said  I,  "  I  '11  tell  you  how  we  can  prove 
whether  I  am  right  or  no." 

"  How  ?  "  demanded  Ben. 

"  Why,  if  the  tree  bleeds  it  must  be  a  dragon." 

"  Bleeds  ? "  echoed  Ben,  "  why,  my  boy,  a'n't  you 
mad  ?  who  e'er  heard  o'  a  tree  bleedin'  ?  " 

"  Run  sap,  I  mean." 

"  O  that  be  hanged,  lad  !  Sure  you  knoAV*  that  any 
sort  o'  a  tree  '11  run  sap ;  'ceptm'  it  be  a  dead  'un." 

"  But  not  red  sap  !  " 

"  Wliat !  you  think  yon  ere  tree  'ud  run  red  sap,  do 
ye?" 

"  I  am  almost  sure  of  it,  —  red  as  blood." 

"  "Well,  if  it  do,  then  I  '11  believe  ee,  my  lad ;  but  it 
are  precious  easy  to  try.  Let 's  go  up  to  it,  and  gie  it  a 
prod  Avith  the  knife,  and  then  we  '11  see  what  sort  o'  sap 
it 's  got  in  its  vigly  veins,  —  for  dang  it,  it  are  about  the 
ugliest  piece  o'  growin'  timber  I  e'er  set  eyes  on ;  ne'er 


KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  123 

a  mast  nor  spar  to  be  had  out  o'  it,  I  reckon.  It 
sartinly  are  ugly  enough  to  make  a  gallows  of.  Come 
on,  my  lad  ! " 

Ben  started  forwai^d  towards  the  tree,  and  I  followed 
him.  "We  did  not  walk  particularly  fast,  as  there  was 
no  need  to  be  in  a  hurry.  The  tree  was  not  likely  to 
run  away  from  us,  like  the  birds  and  beasts.  There 
were  no  signs  of  motion  about  it ;  and  it  would  have 
taken  a  strong  wind  to  have  stiiTed  either  its  leaves  or 
branches.  It  had  a  look  of  great  finiiness,  and  more 
resembled  cast-iron  than  a  vegetable  substance  ;  but  as 
we  drew  nearer,  its  forbidding  aspect  was  to  some 
extent  relieved  by  the  appearance  of  its  flowers,  the 
strong  fragrance  of  which  reached  our  nostrils  from  a 
great  distance  off. 

Immediately  around  the  tree,  and  for  several  yards 
outwards,  there  was  a  bed  of  tall,  sedge-looking  grass. 
It  was  withered,  and  of  a  yellowish  color,  not  unlike  a 
piece  of  standing  wheat,  but  much  taller.  It  appeared 
a  little  trampled  and  tossed,  as  if  some  heavy  animal 
had  been  passing  through  it,  and  in  one  or  two  places 
had  rolled  in  it.  This  might  all  very  naturally  be,  in  a 
country  where  large  animals  abound.  The  antelopes 
might  have  been  there,  resting  themselves  under  the 
shade,  and  taking  advantage  of  the  fine  grass  to  couch 
upon. 

Neither  my  companion  nor  I  took  any  heed  of  these 
signs,  but  walked  boldly  up  to  the  tree ;  and  Ben,  with- 
out more  ado,  drew  his  great  jack-knife,  and  struck  the 
blade  forcibly  into  the  bark. 

Whether  there  came  out  red  juice  or  yellow  juice,  or 


> 


124  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

any  juice  at  all,  neither  of  us  waited  to  see  ;  for,  as  ii 
the  stroke  of  the  knife  had  been  a  signal,  a  huge  animal 
leaped  up  out  of  the  grass,  not  twenty  feet  from  where 
we  stood,  and  remained  gazing  at  us.  To  our  hoiTor 
we  saw  that  it  was  a  lion  ! 

It  needed  no  naturalist  to  recognize  this  fellow.  The 
dun-colored  body,  with  dark,  shaggy  mane, —  the  broad, 
full  face,  and  wrinkled  jaws, —  the  fierce,  yellow  eye, 
and  bristled,  cat-like  snout,  were  not  to  be  mistaken. 

My  companion  and  I  had  both  seen  lions  in  shows 
and  menageries,  as  who  has  not?  But  even  had  we 
never  looked  on  one  before,  it  would  have  been  all  the 
same.  A  mere  infant  might  recognize  the  terrible 
animal,  and  point  him  out  amidst  all  the  beasts  in  the 
world. 

Ben  and  I  were  horror-struck,  —  perfectly  paralyzed 
by  the  unexpected  apparition ;  and  remained  so  for 
some  seconds,  —  in  fact,  so  long  as  the  lion  stood  his 
ground.  To  our  great  joy  that  was  not  a  long  while. 
The  enormous  beast  gazed  at  us  a  few  seconds, — 
apparently  more  in  wonderment  than  anger,  —  and 
then,  uttering  a  low  growl  to  express  some  slight  dis- 
pleasure at  having  his  rest  disturbed,  he  dropped  his 
tail  and  turned  sulkily  away.  And  thus  do  lions  gen- 
erally behave  at  the  approach  of  man,  —  especially  if 
they  are  not  hungry,  and  be  not  assailed  by  the 
intruder. 

He  moved  off,  however,  but  very  slowly,  —  at  inter- 
vals crouching  down  and  turning  his  head  backward,  as 
if  "  looking  over  his  shoulder  "  to  see  whether  we  were 
following.     We  had  no  notion  of  such  a  thing.     Not  a 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  125 

foot  did  we  intend  to  follow  him,  not  even  an  inch.  On 
the  contrary,  we  had  rather  receded  from  our  position, 
and  placed  the  huge  trunk  of  the  tree  between  him  and 
us.  Of  course  this  would  have  been  no  protection  had 
he  chosen  to  return  and  attack  us ;  but,  although  he  did 
not  go  as  fast  as  we  could  have  wished,  he  showed  no 
signs  of  coming  back,  and  we  began  to  recover  confi- 
dence. 

We  might  have  retreated  upon  the  plain,  but  that 
would  have  been  of  no  use,  and  very  probably  would 
have  been  the  means  of  drawing  the  lion  after  us.  "\Ye 
knew  very  well  he  could  soon  overtake  us,  and  of  course 
a  blow  apiece  from  his  enormous  paws  Avould  have 
knocked  us  into  "  smithereens,"  or,  as  my  companion 
more  elegantly  expressed  it,  "  into  the  middle  of  next 
week." 

It  is  quite  probable  that,  had  this  lion  been  let  alone, 
he  would  have  gone  entirely  away  without  molesting 
us.  But  he  was  not  let  alone.  My  companion  was  a 
bold,  rash  man,  —  too  bold  and  too  rash  upon  that 
occasion.  It  occurred  to  him  that  the  enemy  was 
moving  off  too  slowly ;  and  fancying,  in  his  foolish  way, 
that  a  shot  from  "  Queen  Anne  "  might  intimidate  the 
brute  and  quicken  his  pace,  he  rested  the  piece  upon 
one  of  the  old  leaf-marks  of  the  tree,  and,  taking 
steady  aim,  banged  away. 

Likely  enough  the  shot  hit  the  lion,  —  for  he  was  not 
yet  fifty  yards  from  tlie  muzzle  of  the  gun,  —  but  what 
effect  could  a  load  of  snipe-shot  produce  upon  the 
thick  hide  of  an  enormous  brute  like  tliat  ? 

In  the  lion's  mind,  however,  it  produced  the  very 
11  * 


12G  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

opposite  effect  to  what  my  companion  anticipated,  for  it 
neither  caused  him  to  run  away  or  even  quicken  his 
pace,  nor  yet  frightened  liim  any  way.  On  the  contra- 
ry, almost  simultaneously  with  tlie  report,  he  uttered  a 
loud  scream,  and,  turning  in  his  track,  came  bounding 
towards  the  tree ! 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  127 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

No  doubt,  in  less  than  another  imnute  Ben  Brace 
and  I  would  have  ceased  to  live.  I  had  made  up  my* 
mind  that  both  of  us  would  be  torn  to  pieces,  —  and 
certainly  this  would  have  been  the  resrdt  had  my  com- 
panion not  been  a  man  of  ready  resources.  But,  fortu- 
nately, he  was  so,  and  at  that  crisis  conceived  a  means 
of  escape  from  the  danger  that  thi-eatened  us.  Perhaps 
he  had  thought  of  it  before.  It  is  most  probable  he 
ha*^.,  otherwise  he  would  scarce  have  acted  so  impru- 
dently as  he  had  done,  —  for  nothing  could  have  been 
more  imprudent  than  firing  at  a  lion  upon  an  open 
plain  with  nothing  but  snipe-shot  in  the  gun  ! 

It  is  likely,  however,  that  Ben  had  thought  of  his 
means  of  retreat  before  firing  that  shot,  though  what 
they  were  I  could  not  imagine.  "We  were  upon  the 
ground,  with  the  thick  trunk  of  a  tree  between  us  and 
the  hon ;  but,  of  course,  that  would  be  no  protection, 
since  the  beast  saw  us,  and  would  soon  come  round 
to  our  side.  How,  then,  were  we  to  retreat  ?  For 
my  part  I  believed  we  should  both  be  killed  and 
devoured. 

Ben  was.  of  a  different  opinion,  and  before  I  could  do 
moi'C  than  give  utterance  to  an  exchunation  of  terror. 


128  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

he  had  caught  me  by  the  legs,  and  hoisted  me  high 
above  his  shoulders  into  the  air  ! 

"  Now,  lad,"  shouted  he,  "  lay  hold  o'  the  branch  and 
hoist  yourself  up.  Quick  !  —  quick  !  or  the  beast  '11  be 
on  us." 

I  at  once  divined  his  intention  ;  and,  without  waiting 
to  make  reply,  I  seized  one  of  the  branches  of  the 
dragon-tree,  and  commenced  drawing  myself  upward. 
The  branch  was  just  as  high  as  I  could  reach  with  m^y 
hands,  —  even  when  held  up  in  the  arms  of  the  tall 
sailor,  —  and  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  raise  my  body 
up  to  it ;  but  during  the  voyage  I  had  learned  to  climb 
like  a  monkey,  and  after  some  twisting  and  wriggling, 
I  succeeded  in  gaining  a  lodgement  among  the  limbs  of 
the  tree. 

Meanwhile  Ben  was  as  busy  as  myself  in  making 
the  ascent.  He  had  resigned  his  hold  of  me,  as  soon 
as  he  perceived  that  I  had  caught  the  branch  ;  and  was 
now  using  all  his  energies,  and  all  his  craft  too,  to  get 
out  of  the  way  of  the  lion.  Unfortunately,  the  limbs  of 
the  tree  were  too  high  for  him  to  lay  hold  of,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  resort  to  a  different  mode  of  climbing. 
Of  course,  the  trunk  was  by  far  too  tliick  for  him  to  get 
his  arms  around  it  and  climb  by  hugging,  —  he  might 
as  readily  have  hugged  a  wall.  Fortunately,  however, 
the  bark  was  full  of  irregularities,  —  little  knots  and 
notches,  the  scars  of  the  old  leaf-marks,  that  had  long 
ago  fallen  off,  with  some  larger  holes,  where,  perhaps, 
whole  branches  had  been  broken  off  by  the  wind.  The 
quick  eye  of  the  sailor  at  once  perceived  the  advantage 
of  these  marks,  —  which  Avould  serve  him  as  steps,  — 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  129 

and,  kicking  off  his  shoes,  he  clutched  tlie  trunk  both 
■with  fingers  and  toes,  and  commenced  climbing  upward 
like  a  cat. 

It  was  shai*p  work,  and  he  was  obliged  to  take  a 
little  time  and  make  it  sure.  Had  he  lost  balance  and 
fallen  back,  he  would  not  have  had  time  to  make  a 
second  attempt  before  the  lion  should  arrive  upon  the 
ground  ;  and,  well  knowing  this,  he  held  on  with  "  teeth 
and  toe-nail." 

By  good  fortune  I  had  now  squared  myself  face 
downward  upon  the  branch,  and  as  the  collar  of  Ben's 
Guernsey  came  within  reach  of  my  hand  I  was  able  to 
give  him  a  help  ;  so  that  the  next  moment  he  succeeded 
in  getting  hold  of  a  limb,  and  swinging  himself  into  the 
fork  of  the  tree. 

It  Avas  a  close  shave,  however ;  for  just  as  Ben  drew 
his  dangling  feet  among  the  branches  the  lion  reached 
the  ground,  and,  bounding  upwards,  struck  his  paw 
fiercely  against  the  trunk,  causing  the  bark  to  fly  off  in 
large  pieces.  There  was  not  three  inches  between  the 
tips  of  his  claws  and  the  soles  of  Ben's  feet  as  this 
stroke  was  given  ;  and  had  he  succeeded  in  grasping 
the  ankle  of  my  companion,  it  would  have  been  the  last 
bit  of  climbing  poor  Brace  would  ever  have  made  ;  for 
the  paw  of  the  lion  is  like  a  hand,  and  he  could  easily 
have  dragged  his  victim  back  to  the  ground  again.  It 
was  a  narrow  escape,  therefore,  but,  as  Ben  afterwards 
remarked,  "  an  incli  of  a  miss  was  as  good  as  a  mile," 
and  the  sequel  in  this  case  proved  the  justitc  of  tlie 
adage,  for  we  were  now  safe  among  the  branches  where 
the  lion  coidd  not  possibly  reach  us. 


130  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

At  the  time,  however,  we  were  far  from  being  satis- 
fied upon  this  liead,  and  for  a  long  while  entertained  no 
very  confident  feeling  of  security.  We  both  knew  that 
lions  cannot  climb  an  ordinary  tree.  They  have  not 
the  power  of  "  hugging "  with  which  some  bears  are 
gifted,  and  of  course  cannot  ascend  in  that  manner. 
Neither  can  they  climb  as  cats  do ;  for  although  the 
lion  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  great  cat,  —  the 
biggest  of  all  cats,  —  and  is  furnished  Avith  retractile 
claws,  such  as  cats  have,  yet  these  last  are  usually  so 
worn  and  blunted,  that  the  king  of  beasts  can  make  but 
little  use  of  them  in  attempting  to  climb  a  tree.  For 
this  reason  tree-climbing  is  altogether  out  of  his  line, 
and  he  does  not  make  any  pretensions  to  the  art;  not- 
withstanding all  this,  he  can  rush  a  long  way  up  the 
trunk  by  the  mere  strength  of  his  elastic  muscles,  and 
particularly  where  the  bark  is  rough  on  the  surface, 
and  the  trunk  large  and  firm  as  was  that  of  the  di-agon- 
tree. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  our  apprehensions  continued ; 
no  wonder  they  increased  when  we  saw  the  fierce  brute 
crouch  down  at  some  paces  distant  from  the  trunk,  and, 
spreading  out  his  broad  paws,  deliberately  set  himself 
for  a  spring. 

Next  moment  he  rushed  forward  about  two  lengths 
of  his  body,  and  then,  bounding  in  a  diagonal  line, 
launched  himself  aloft.  He  must  have  leaped  over  ten 
feet  in  an  upward  direction,  —  for  liis  fore-paws  struck 
the  tree  just  under  the  forking  of  the  branches, — but 
to  our  great  relief  he  was  not  able  to  retain  his  hold, 
and  his  huge  body  fell  back  to  the  ground. 


RAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  131 

He  was  not  discouraged  by  his  failure ;  and,  once 
more  running  outward,  he  turned  and  cowered  for  a 
second  spring.  This  time  he  appeared  more  deter- 
mined and  certain  of  success.  There  was  that  expres- 
sion in  his  hideous  face,  combined  with  the  extreme 
of  rage  and  fury.  His  lips  were  drawn  back,  and  his 
white  teeth  and  red  frothy  tongue  were  displayed  in  all 
their  horrid  nakedness,  —  a  hideous  sight  to  behold. 
We  trembled  as  we  looked  upon  it. 

Another  fierce  growl,  —  another  rush  forward,  — 
another  bound,  —  and  before  we  had  time  to  utter  a 
word,  we  perceived  the  yellow  paw  of  the  lion  spread 
over  the  limb  of  the  tree,  with  his  grifiling  riiuzde  and 
gleaming  teeth  close  to  our  feet !  In  another  instant 
the  brute  would  have  swung  his  body  up,  but  my  com- 
panion's presence  of  mind  did  not  forsake  him  at  this 
crisis.  Quick  as  thought  was  his  action ;  ana  before 
the  lion  had'  time  to  raise  himself,  the  keen  blade  of 
the  sailor's  knife  had  passed  twice  through  the  great 
paw,  —  inflicting  at  each  stab  a  deep  and  bloody  gash. 
At  the  same  instant  I  had  dra^ra  the  jnstol,  which  I 
still  carried  in  my  ])elt-,  and  fired,  as  fair  as  I  could,  iu 
the  face  of  the  naonster. 

Wliether  it  was  the  knife  or  the  pistol  that  produced 
the  desired  effect,  I  will  not  undertake  to  determme  ; 
but  certainly  an  effect  was  produced  by  one  or  the 
other,  or  more  likely  both  Aveapons  deserve  a  share  of 
the  credit.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  effect  was  instan- 
taneous ;  for  the  moment  the  shot  was  fired  and  the 
stabs  were  given,  the  lion  dropped  backward,  and  ran 
limping  around   the   truidi   of  the   tree,  roaring   and 


132  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

screaming  in  a  voice  that  might  have  been  heard  at 
the  distance  of  miles  ! 

From  the  manner  in  which  he  limped,  it  was  evident 
that  the  wounds  given  by  the  knife  were  painful  to  him, 
and  we  could  percive  by  the  blood  upon  his  "  counte- 
nance "  that  the  shot,  small  as  it  was,  had  torn  him  con- 
siderably about  the  face. 

For  a  short  time  we  were  in  hopes  that  after  such 
a  repulse  he  might  take  himself  off,  but  we  soon  per- 
ceived that  our  hopes  were  fiillacious ;  neither  the  stabs 
nor  the  shot  had  seriously  injured  him.  They  had  only 
served  to  render  him  more  furious  and  vengeful ;  and 
after  tumbling  about  for  a  while,  and  angrily  biting  at 
his  own  bleeding  paw,  he  returned  once  more  to  the 
attack,  as  before,  endeavoring  to  spring  up  to  the 
branches  of  the  tree.  I  had  reloaded  the  pistol.  Ben 
was  agam  ready  with  his  blade ;  and,  fixing  ourselves 
firmly  on  our  perch,  Ave  awaited  the  onset. 

Once  more  the  lion  bounded  upward  and  launched 
himself  against  the  trunk,  but  to  our  great  joy  we  saw 
that  he  fell  far  short  of  his  former  leaps.  Beyond  a 
doubt  his  limb  was  disabled. 

Again  and  again  he  repeated  the  attempt,  each  time 
falling  short,  as  before.  If  fury  could  have  availed,  he 
would  have  succeeded ;  for  he  was  now  at  the  height 
of  his  rage,  and  making  such  a  liideous  combination  of 
noises,  that  we  could  not  hear  our  own  voices  when  we 
spoke  to  each  other. 

After  several  vain  essays  to  reach  us,  the  brute 
seemed  to  arrive  at  the  conviction  that  the  feat  was 
beyond  his  poAvers,  and  he  desisted  from  the  attempt. 


V 


RAN    A^VAV    TO    SEA.  133 

But  he  had  no  intention  of  leaving  the  ground.  On 
the  contrary,  we  saw  that  he  was  determined  to  make 
us  stand  siege,  for,  to  our  great  chagrin,  we  observed 
him  trot  a  few  paces  from  the  trunk  of  the  tree  and 
crouch  down  in  the  grass,  —  evidently  with  the  inten- 
tion of  remaining  there  till  we  should  be  compelled  to 
come  down. 


101  KAX    AAV.VY    TO    S::;A. 


CIIArTEPv     XXIII, 


Of  course  my  companion  and  I  kept  our  places  in 
tlie  top  of  the  tree  ;  we  could  not  do  otherwise.  Had 
we  attempted  to  come  down,  it  would  only  have  been  to 
fling  ourselves  right  into  the  jaws  of  the  Hon,  —  who 
lay  at  just  such  a  distance  from  the  trunk  that  he  could 
have  reached  us  by  a  single  bound,  the  moment  we  set 
foot  upon  the  earth.  There  he  lay,  or  rather  squatted, 
like  a  cat ;  though  at  intervals  he  rose  and  stretched  his 
body  into  a  crouching  attitude,  and  lashed  his  sides  with 
his  tufted  tail,  and  showed  his  teeth  and  roared  angrily. 
Then  for  some  moments  he  would  lie  down  again  and 
lick  his  wounded  paw,  —  still  growling  while  he  did  so, 
as  though  he  was  vowing  revenge  for  the  injury ! 

When  we  saw  that  he  had  ceased  to  attempt  climbing 
the  tree,  we  were  in  hopes  he  would  get  tired  of  the 
attack,  and  go  off  altogether.  But  these  hopes  gradu- 
ally forsook  us,  as  we  observed  the  pertinacity  with 
which  he  still  continued  to  watch  us.  If  either  of  us 
made  a  motion  among  the  branches,  he  would  instantly 
spring  to  his  feet,  —  as  though  he  fancied  we  were 
about  to  descend,  and  was  determined  to  intercept  us. 
This,  of  itself,  proved  that  he  had  not  the  slightest 
intention  of  moving  off  from  the  ground,  and  convinced 


HAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  135 

US  that  the  siege  was  not  to  be  raised  with  the  consent 
of  the  besieger. 

"We  began  to  grow  exceedingly  apprehensive  about 
our  situation.  Hitherto  we  had  been  terrified  by  tlie 
sudden  attack  of  tlie  lion,  but  these  moments  of  terror 
were  short-lived,  and,  on  account  of  the  excitement 
which  accompanied  them,  we  had  neither  time  to  reflect 
nor  suffer ;  we  had  not  time  to  feel  despair,  and,  in 
fact,  had  not  despaired  of  safety,  even  while  the  lion 
was  using  all  his  efforts  to  reach  us,  for  we  had  the 
belief  that  he  could  not  get  up. 

Now,  however,  a  new  danger  threatened  us.  Though 
we  felt  quite  secure  in  our  "  roost,"  we  could  not  remain 
there  long.  It  was  by  no  means  comfortable,  strad- 
dling the  naked  branch  of  a  tree  ;  but  the  comfort  was 
a  small  consideration.  "We  were  both  used  to  riding 
such  a  stock -horse ;  and  as  for  Brace  he  could  have 
gone  to  sleep  with  only  the  flying-jib-boom  between  his 
legs,  so  that  it  was  not  the  discomfort  we  cared  about. 
There  was  something  more  serious  than  this  to  reflect 
upon,  and  that  was  the  prospect  of  being  afflicted  by 
hunger  and  thirst.  I  need  not  say  prospect.  As  for 
hunger,  we  were  not  yet  suffering  for  want  of  food ; 
but  already  the  sister  appetite  had  begun  to  be  felt, 
and  keenly  too.  We  had  not  tasted  water  since  leaving 
the  river,  and  any  one  who  has  ever  made  a  march 
under  the  tropical  sun  of  Africa  knows  that  at  every 
half-mile  you  feel  the  desire  to  drink.  Both  of  us  had 
been  thirsty  almost  since  the  moment  we  parted  with 
the  boat,  and  I  had  been  looking  out  for  water  ever 
«ince.     We  blamed  ourselves  for  not  having  brought 


y 


13G  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

with  US  a  canteen,  or  water-bottle,  and  we  already  paid 
for  our  negligence,  or  rather  our  ignorance,  —  for  it 
never  entered  into  our  minds  that  such  a  provision  would 
be  necessary,  any  more  than  if  we  had  gone  out  for  a 
day's  fowling  into  the  fields  about  home. 

We  had  already  been  suffering  from  thirst,  but  now 
that  we  sat  upon  those  bare  branches,  with  not  a  bit  of 
shade  to  screen  us  from  the  fierce  rays  of  a  noonday's 
sun,  —  and  a  hot  tropical  sun  at  that,  —  we  began  to  feel 
the  pangs  of  thirst  in  right  earnest,  and  in  a  way  I  had 
never  felt  them  before.  Indeed,  it  was  a  most  painful 
sensation,  and  I  thought  if  it  was  to  increase,  or  even 
continue  much  longer,  it  would  kill  me.  My  com- 
panion suffered  also,  though  not  so  badly  as  I.  He 
was  more  used  to  such  extremities,  and  could  better 
bear  them. 

Pei-haps  had  we  been  actually  engaged  in  some  work 
we  should  not  have  felt  this  misery  so  keenly ;  but  we 
had  nothing  to  do  but  balance  our  bodies  upon  the 
branches  and  calmly  reflect.  So  much  the  worse.  We 
were  able  to  comprehend  our  situation,  and  fully  under- 
stand its  perilous  nature. 

The  prospect  was  far  from  cheering.  Out  of  the 
tree  we  dared  not  go,  else  we  should  be  eaten  up  by 
the  lion.  If  we  remained  in  the  tree,  we  should  be- 
come the  victims  either  of  thirst  or  hunger,  or  both. 

How  were  we  to  be  relieved  from  this  terrible  alter- 
native ?  Would  the  lion  grow  wearied  with  watching 
us,  and  wander  away  ?  There  was  not  the  least  likeli- 
hood he  would  do  so.  All  his  movements  indicated  an 
opposite  intention ;  and  for  our  consolation,  I  now  re- 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  137 

membered  having  read  of  the  implacable  nature  of  this 
fierce  brute  when  wounded  or  jirovoked,  —  so  far  differ- 
ent from  the  generous  disposition  usually  ascribed  to 
him,  and  which  certainly  he  often  displays  when  not 
molested,  or  perhaps  when  not  hungry. 

Whether  our  lion  was  hungry  or  not,  Ave  had  no 
means  of  judging ;  but  we  knew  he  had  been  molested, 
and  roughly  handled  too ;  his  revengeful  feelings  had 
been  roused  to  their  highest  pitch ;  and,  therefore,  what- 
ever of  vengeance  was  in  his  nature  would  now  be 
exhibited.  Beyond  a  doubt  his  ire  was  not  going  to 
cool  down  in  a  hurry.  We  might  wait  a  long  while 
before  he  would  feel  inclined  to  forgiveness.  We 
had  no  hope  from  his  mercy.  Perhaps  the  night 
might  produce  a  change.  On  this  alone  we  rested 
our  hopes. 

We  never  speculated  on  being  rescued  by  any  of  our 
companions  from  the  Pandora.  Though  Brace  had 
friends  among  them,  they  were  not  the  sort  of  friends 
to  trouble  themselves  much  about  what  became  of  him. 
They  might  make  a  show  of  search,  but  there  were 
twenty  ways  they  could  go,  without  hitting  on  the  right 
one  ;  and  to  find  any  one  among  these  limitless  forests 
would  be  a  mere  act  of  chance.  We  had  not  much 
hope  of  being  rescued  by  them. 

Wliat  little  hope  we  had  from  this  source  rested  upon 
a  singular  belief.  My  companion  suggested  that  the 
Pandoi'a's  people,  on  finding  we  did  not  return  at  night, 
might  fancy  we  had  deserted.  In  that  case  it  was  prob- 
able enough  we  might  be  searched  for,  and  with  suf- 
ficient zeal  to  insure  our  being  found  ! 
12* 


138  RAN   AATAT   TO    SEA. 

This  was  a  singular  conjecture,  and  both  of  us  wished 
it  might  prove  a  correct  one.  Under  this  contingency 
there  was  a  better  prospect  of  our  being  relieved. 

By  this  time  our  thu'st  had  become  oppressive. 
Our  throats  were  parched  as  though  we  had  swal- 
lowed red  pepper,  and  our  tongues  could  not  produce 
the  slightest  moisture.  Even  the  natui-al  saliva  had 
ceased  to  flow. 

Wliile  suffering  thus,  an  idea  occurred  to  my  com- 
panion. I  saw  him  with  his  knife  make  an  incision  in 
the  bark  of  one  of  the  branches.  The  point  that  had 
first  led  us  to  approach  the  great  tree  was  now  decided. 
Eed  sap  flowed  from  the  wound  !  —  it  was  the  "  drag- 
on's-blood " ! 

In  hopes  of  getting  relief  from  this  som'ce,  we  both 
moistened  our  lips  with  the  crimson  juice,  and  swallowed 
it  as  fast  as  it  oozed  out.  Had  we  been  better  acquaint- 
ed with  medical  botany  we  should  have  let  this  liquor 
alone,  for  the  dragon's-blood  is  one  of  the  most  noted  of 
astringents.  Alas  !  Ave  soon  discovered  its  qualities  by 
experiment.  In  five  minutes  after,  our  tongues  felt  as 
if  vitriol  had  been  poured  upon  them,  and  our  thirst  in- 
creased to  a  degree  of  violence  and  fierceness  that  could 
no  longer  be  borne.  Deeply  did  we  now  repent  what 
we  had  done;  deeply  did  we  rue  the  tasting  of  that 
blood-hke  sap.  We  might  have  endured  for  days,  had 
we  not  swallowed  those  crimson  drops ;  but  already 
were  we  sufiermg  as  if  days  had  passed  since  we  had 
tasted  water. 

Our  thirst  had  suddenly  increased,  and  still  kept  in- 
creasing, until  the  agony  we  endured  was  positively 


EAN    AWAY    TO    SKA.  139 

excruciating.  I  cannot  describe  it.  Some  idea  may 
be  had  of  its  terrible  nature  when  I  assert  that  we  ac- 
tually talked  of  descending  from  the  tree,  and  risking 
our  lives  in  a  knife-conflict  with  the  lion,  rather  than 
endure  it  longer ! 


110  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


Yes  ;  we  actually  talked  of  descending  from  the 
tree,  and  risking  our  lives  in  a  knife-conflict  with  the 
lion  ! 

It  is  true  it  was  a  forlorn  hope  ;  but  it  is  probable  we 
should  have  attempted  it  in  preference  to  enduring  the 
teri'ible  agony  much  longer.  Fortunately  we  were  not 
driven  to  this  desperate  alternative.  At  this  crisis  a 
happy  idea  came  into  the  mind  of  my  companion,  and 
drove  the  thought  of  the  knife-combat  out  of  our  heads  ! 

It  will  be  remembered  that  we  had  with  us  a  mus- 
ket. The  great  "  Queen  Anne  "  must  not  be  forgotten ; 
though,  for  the  time,  it  would  seem  as  though  we  had 
forgotten  it.  That  is  not  exactly  the  case.  We  remem- 
bered it  well  enough,  for  it  was  under  our  eyes,  lying 
at  the  bottom  of  the  tree,  —  where  Brace  had  tlirormi 
it  in  his  eagerness  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  lion ; 
but  it  was  out  of  our  reach,  and,  moreover,  being  empty, 
we  had  never  thought  of  its  being  of  service  to  us. 
Even  could  we  have  regained  possession  of,  and  reload- 
ed it,  we  knew  that  the  snipe-shot  would  not  kill  the 
lion ;  and  therefore  we  miglit  load  and  fire  till  we  had 
exhausted  all  our  ammunition,  without  any  other  result 
than  to  render  the  brute  more  fui-ious,  —  if  that  could 


KAX   AWAY   TO    SEA.  141 

possibly  be.  For  these  reasons  we  had  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  the  "  Queen  Anne,"  and  there  it  lay  right  under 
us,  apparently  as  useless  as  a  bar  of  iron. 

While  plotting  about  the  means  of  defence  and  at- 
tack we  might  make  use  of  in  our  intended  final  strug- 
gle, the  "  Queen  Anne  "  once  more  came  into  our  heads ; 
and  Brace  hit  upon  a  plan  by  which  the  great  piece 
might  serve  us.  In  fact,  there  was  a  probability  we 
might  extricate  ourselves  by  its  aid,  without  the  desper- 
ate conflict  we  had  projected ;  and  we  only  wondered 
the  idea  had  not  occurred  to  us  before. 

This  plan  was  to  get  hold  of  the  gun  and  reload  her ; 
then  provoke  the  lion  in  some  way,  so  that  he  Avould 
renew  his  attempts  to  ascend  the  tree  ;  and,  when  thus 
near,  place  the  muzzle  of  the  musket  close  to  his  head, 
and  fire  the  contents  right  into  him.  Even  snipe-shot 
might  do  the  work,  if  delivered  at  such  close  quarters. 

The  first  difficulty  Avould  be  to  get  possession  of  the 
gun.  She  was  lying  under  the  tree,  upon  the  same  side 
where  we  had  climbed  up,  and  not  three  feet  from  the 
great  trunk ;  but,  though  so  near,  it  was  evident  that 
one  or  other  of  us  must  descend  to  the  gi-ound,  be- 
fore we  could  lay  a  finger  upon  her.  Of  course  it  would 
be  impossible  to  do  this  without  the  risk  —  nay,  the 
positive  certainty  —  of  being  assailed  by  the  lion.  He 
lay  only  a  dozen  paces  farther  out,  and,  as  already 
stated,  continually  kept  his  eyes  upon  us.  A  single 
bound  would  be  enough,  and  there  Avould  be  no  chance 
of  escaping  him.     How  was  the  gun  to  be  got  at  ? 

I  have  said  that  it  was  evident  one  or  the  other  of  us 
would  have  to  descend;  and,  as   this   would  be  going 


142  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

directly  to  destruction,   the  idea  of  doing  so   was  not 
entertained  for  a  moment. 

Ben  had  fancied  that  he  might  "  sling "  me  down 
after  the  manner  of  monkeys,  and  that  by  this  means 
we  might  get  hold  of  the  gun ;  but  after  examining 
the  branches  and  calculating  the  distance,  we  saw  that 
the  height  Avas  too  great,  and  the  thing  would  be  im- 
possible. 

Just  then  another  idea  came  to  our  aid,  —  an  idea  of 
Ben's  conception,  —  and  that  was  to  make  a  running 
noose  on  the  end  of  a  piece  of  cord,  endeavor  to  get  it 
round  the  gun,  and  then  draw  her  up  in  the  looj:).  This 
would  be  a  safe  plan,  if  we  could  only  accomplish  it. 

We  had  the  cord,  —  a  sailor  is  rarely  found  wanting 
one.  It  was  the  same  piece  upon  which  the  vulture 
had  dangled ;  for  Ben  had  unloosed  it  before  pitching 
away  his  bird.  It  was  both  long  enough  and  strong 
enough  for  the  purpose,  and  could  not  have  suited  bet- 
ter if  it  had  been  chosen  at  a  rope-ftictory.  Ben  knew 
how  to  make  a  loop,  and  a  loop  was  soon  made  to  his 
liking ;  and  then  the  cord  was  let  down  slowly  and 
gently,  so  as  not  to  close  the  noose  before  it  reached 
the  ground.  Guided  by  the  adroit  hand  of  the  sailor, 
the  loop  at  length  rested  upon  the  earth,  just  before  the 
muzzle  of  the  musket ;  and  was  then  drawn  slowly  and 
smoothly  along  the  grass.  Fortunately,  the  barrel  did 
not  lie  close  to  the  surface,  and  the  cord  passed  easily j. 
vmderneath  it;  but  Ben  was. not  satisfied  until  he  had 
worked  his  loop  nearly  to  the  middle  of  both  barrel  and 
stock,  and  quite  over  one  of  the  swivels.  He  then 
tightened  the  noose  by  a  jerk,  —  such  only  as  a  sailor 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  143 

could  give,  —  and  the  tuut  cord  showed  that  it  was  fast 
and  secured.  In  another  half-minute  my  companion 
held  "  Queen  Anne  "  in  his  grasp  ! 

It  was  but  tlae  work  of  a  few  minutes  to  load  her, 
but  this  was  done  with  caution,  as  we  feared  to  drop 
either  the  ammunition  or  the  ramrod.  Of  course,  had 
we  lost  either  of  these,  the  piece  would  have  become 
useless. 

During  all  these  proceedings,  our  antagonist  had  not 
remained  silent.  As  he  saw  the  musket  ascending  so 
mysteriously  into  the  tree,  he  seemed  to  fancy  that 
some  conspiracy  was  meditated  against  him,  and  he 
had  risen  to  his  all-fours,  and  set  up  a  loud  growling. 

Ben  had  now  finished  loading,  and  only  waited  for 
the  lion  to  appi'oach  the  tree ;  but  the  brute  showed  no 
signs  of  coming  nearer.  He  continued  to  gi*owl  and 
lash  his  tail  angrily,  but  kept  his  ground. 

Perhaps  a  shot  from  the  pistol  might  tempt  him 
nearer ;  and  my  companion  directed  me  to  fire.  I  did 
so,  aiming  at  the  lion.  Like  enough  the  shot  only 
tickled  him ;  but  it  partially  produced  the  desired 
effect ;  for,  on  receiving  it,  he  made  one  bound  forward 
and  then  stopped  again,  —  still  continuing  to  roar,  and 
strike  his  sides  with  his  long,  tufted  tail. 

He  was  now  within  less  than  ten  paces  of  the  muz- 
zle of  the  piece,  and  he  was  not  going  to  come  nearer 
at  that  time.  This  was  evident ;  for,  after  remaining 
awhile  upon  all-fours,  he  squatted  down  upon  his  hips 
just  like  a  cat.  His  broad  breast  was  right  towards  us, 
and  presented  a  most  luring  mark  to  aim  at. 

Ben  was  sorely  templed  to  level  and  pull  trigger; 


144  KAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA. 

but,  still  fearing  that  even  at  that  close  distance  the 
snijie-shot  would  scatter  and  do  no  hurt,  he  held  back. 

lie  had  directed  me  to  reload  the  pistol  and  fire 
again,  and  I  was  busy  in  doing  so,  when,  all  at  once, 
my  companion  whispered  me  to  desist.  I  looked  at 
him  to  see  what  he  wanted.  I  saw  that  some  new 
purpose  was  in  his  mind.  I  saw  him  cautiously  draw 
the  huge  ii'on  ramrod  from  the  thimbles,  and  then 
twisting  a  piece  of  oakum  round  its  head,  insert  it  into 
the  barrel,  where  the  oakum  held  it  fast.  I  next  saw 
him  lower  the  barrel,  and  lay  the  butt  to  his  shoulder. 
I  saw  him  take  aim,  and  soon  after  came  the  loud 
bang  and  the  cloud  of  smoke,  which  filled  the  whole 
top  of  the  tree,  hiding  both  the  earth  and  the  sky  from 
my  sight. 

Though  I  could  not  for  some  time  tell  the  effect  of 
the  shot,  —  neither  could  Ben,  —  on  account  of  the 
thick  smoke,  our  ears  were  gratified  by  the  sounds  that 
reached  us  from  below.  The  voice  of  the  lion  seemed 
all  at  once  to  have  changed  its  triumphant  roaring  to 
a  tone  that  expressed  agony  and  fear,  and  we  were 
convinced  that  he  was  badly  hurt.  We  could  hear 
Avhining,  and  snorting,  and  screaming,  like  that  made 
by  a  cat  in  the  agonies  of  death,  but  far  hoarser  and 
louder. 

All  this  lasted  only. a  few  seconds,  —  while  the  sul- 
phurous vapor  clung  around  the  tree,  —  and  just  as  this 
was  wafted  aside,  and  we  could  see  the  ground  below, 
the  noises  ceased,  and  to  our  great  joy  we  beheld  the 
enormous  brute  stretched  upon  his  side,  motionless  and 
dead ! 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  145 

We  waited  awhile,  to  be  sure  of  this  fact  before 
descending  from  our  safe  perch ;  but,  as  we  watched 
the  brute  and  saw  that  he  stirred  not,  we  at  length  felt 
assured,  and  leaped  down  to  the  earth. 

True  enough,  he  was  quite  dead.  The  iron  ramrod 
had  done  the  business,  and  was  still  sticking  half  buried 
in  his  breast,  its  point  having  penetrated  to  the  heart ! 

A  royal  Hon  was  game  enough  in  one  day.  So 
thought  Ben ;  and,  as  we  had  no  desire  to  procure  a 
second  one  in  the  same  way,  we  agreed  that  this  should 
be  the  termination  of  our  hunt. 

Ben,  however,  was  not  going  to  return  without  taking 
back  some  trophies  of  his  hunter-skill ;  and  therefore, 
after  we  had  obtained  Avater  to  assuage  our  thirst,  we 
returned  to  the  spot,  and  under  the  shade  of  the  great 
dragon-tree  stripped  the  lion  of  his  skin. 

With  this  trophy  borne  upon  Ben's  shoulders,  while 
I  carried  the  "  Queen  Auue,"  we  wended  our  way 
toward  the  Pandora. 


13 


14G  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

It  was  the  intention  of  Ben  and  myself  to  return 
direct  to  the  barque.  We  Avere  quite  satisfied  with 
our  day's  liunting,  and  wanted  no  more  game. 

We  set  out,  therefore,  in  a  direction  tliat,  as  we 
tliought,  AvoukI  bring  us  back  to  tlie  river. 

We  had  not  gone  far,  hoAA^CA^er,  Avhen  Ave  began  to 
foncy  tlaat  Ave  Avere  going  in  tlie  Avrong  course,  and  tlien 
Ave  turned  aside  from  it  and  took  another. 

Tliis  new  one  Ave  followed  for  more  than  a  mile,  but, 
as  no  river  appeared,  Ave  belicAed  we  Avere  noAV  cer- 
tainly going  the  wrong  Avay,  and  once  more  turned 
back. 

After  Avalking  another  mile  or  two,  Avithout  coming 
to  the  river,  Ave  begfm  to  think  we  were  lost.  At  all 
events,  we  had  certainly  lost  our  way,  and  had  not  the 
slightest  idea  on  Avhat  side  of  us  lay  the  riA^er,  or  the 
barque,  or  the  barracoon  of  King  Dingo  Bingo. 

After  resting  a  bit,  —  for  we  had  got  quite  tii-ed, 
fagging  baclvAvard  and  forward  through  the  Avoods,  — 
Avc  took  a  fresh  start,  and  this  time  Avalked  on  for  tlu'ee 
miles  or  more  in  a  straight  course.  It  was  all  guess- 
Avork,  however,  and  a  bad  guess  it  turned  out  to  be ; 
for  instead  of  getting  into  the  low  bottom  lands  that 


RAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  147 

lay  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  Ave  found  ourselves 
coming  out  into  a  hilly  country,  which  was  open  and 
thinly  timbered.  We  saw  plenty  of  gam^n  all  sides, 
—  auteloiies  of  several  kinds,  —  but  we  Avere  now  so 
anxious  about  our  Avay,  that  we  never  thought  of 
stopping  to  have  a  shot  at  them.  At  that  moment  we 
would  rather  have  seen  the  ro}'al-mast  of  the.  Pandora 
than  the  largest  hei'd  of  antelopes  in  the  Avorld. 

One  of  the  hills  in  advance  of  us  appeared  to  be 
higher  than  the  rest ;  and  as  it  also  appeared  the 
nearest,  Ben  proposed  we  should  continue  on  to  its  top. 
l>y  so  doing  we  should  gain  a  view  of  the  surrounding 
counti^  4nd  would  be  likely  to  see  the  river,  and 
perha|)fs  the  barque  herself. 

Of  course  I  made  no  objection,  —  as  I  was  entirely 
guided  by  my  companion's  advice,  —  and  we  at  once 
set  out  for  the  hill. 

It  appeared  to  be  only  a  mile  or  two  distant ;  but,  to 
our  great  surprise,  when  we  had  walked  a  full  mile,  it 
seemetl  no  nearer  than  ever ! 

But>  this  was  not  the  worst  of  it,  for  when  we  had 
walked  another  mile,  we  still  ai")peared  no  nearer  to 
the  hill  than  when  Ave  had  first  started  for  it;  and  then 
a  third  mile  Avas  passed  over,  and  the  distance  that 
intervened  between  us  and  the  eminence  Avas,  to  all 
ap[)earance,  but  slightly  diminished  ! 

Had  it  been  left  to  me,  I  should  have  given  up  all 
hope  of  reaching  that  hill,  and  Avould  have  gone  back 
as  we  had  come;  but  my  companion  AA'as  a  man  of 
Avonderful  perseverance,  in  anything  he  undei"tool<,  and 
noAv  that  he  had  started  for  the  hill,  he  Avas  determined 


148  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

that  no  halt  should  be  made  until  we  had  got  to  the 
very  summit  of  it,  —  even  though  it  should  take  us  tijl 
sunset  to  accomplish  the  journey.  .  So  on  we  trudged, 
keei)ing  the  top  of  the  hill  in  view,  and  facing  sti-aight 
for  it  all  the  while. 

It  was  a  far  longer  journey  than  we  had  anticipated. 
it  could  not  have  been  less  than  •  ten  good  English 
miles  from  the  place  where  we  first  observed  it,  to  the 
highest  part,  though  when  starting  for  it,  it  looked  only 
one !  But  such  is  the  pureness  of  the  atmosphere  in 
some  parts  of  the  tropics,  where  there  is  no  cloud  in 
the  sky,  and  no  mist  over  the  earth,  that  any  one  ac- 
customed to  an  English  view  is  easily  deceived. 

It  was  within  an  hour  of  sunset  when  Ben  and  I 
reached  the  summit  of  the  hill,  after  a  tramp  of  ten 
miles  at  least ;  but  we  were  rewarded  for  our  trouble 
by  the  splendid  view  we  obtained,  and  particularly  by 
the  sight  of  the  river,  which  ran  along  one  side,  and 
Avhich  stretched  away  from  our  position,  like  a  belt  of 
shining  silver,  till  it  met  the  white  sea  in  the  distance. 
We  could  just  make  out  the  Pandora  riding  upon  her 
anchor,  and  we  thought  Ave  could  distinguish  the  cabins 
and  barracoons  of  King  Dingo  Bingo,  peeping  out  from 
among  the  green  trees.  The  barque  looked  no  larger 
than  a  little  boat,  and  although  she  appeared  very  near 
the  river's  mouth,  that  was  also  an  ocular  deception,  for 
we  knew  that  she  was  more  than  a  mile  up  stream. 

Of  course  the  sight  gave  us  joy,  —  for  we  had  really 
believed  ourselves  lost,  and  had  been  feeling  very 
uneasy  all  the  afternoon.  Now,  however,  that  we  saw 
the  bearings  and  course  in  which  the  river  ran,  we 


UAN    AWAY.  TO    SKA.  149 

it 

could  easily  make  our  way  to  it,  and,  by  following 
its  banks,  would  iu  time  reacli  the  place  of  our  des- 
tination. 

One  thing,  however,  was  unpleasant  enough.  "\Ve 
should  not  be  able  to  get  back  to  the  Pandora  that 
night.  We  might  get  as  far  as  the  bank  of  the  river 
before  the  sun  would  be  quite  gone  down ;  but  we  saw 
that  the  country  on  both  sides  of  the  stream  was  covered 
with  thick  woods ;  and  unless  a  path  could  be  found,  it 
would  be  slow  travelling  through  the  timber,  and  after 
twilight  it  would  be  impossible  to  proceed.  It  appeared 
plain  enough  that  we  could  not  reach  the  Pandora  that 
niglit,  and  we  should  have  to  spend  the  night  in  the 
woods. 

Since  this  was  to  be,  Ben  thought  we  might  as  well 
stay  upon  the  hill,  as  go  anywhere  else.  Wc  might 
have  gone  down  to  the  bunk  of  tlic  river,  —  for  it  ran 
close  to  one  side  of  the  hill,  perhaps  not  quite  a  mile 
from  the  bottom  of  the  slope;  —  and  we  at  first  thought 
of  "doin"-  so ;  but  upon  reflection  it  seemed  better  for 
us  to  stay  where  we  Avere.  We  should  be  in  less  dan- 
ger from  wild  beasts  by  remaining  upon  the  hill, — ■ 
upon  which  there  was  not  much  timber,  —  than  by 
going  down  into  the  thick  woods.  The  banks  of  the 
river  we  knew  to  be  the  place  where  wild  beasts  most 
abounded,  and  the  danger  of  being  attacked  by' them 
would  be  much  greater  there.  As  to  water,  we  could 
not  be  better  otf,  for  we  had  found  a  beautiful  spring 
near  the  summit,  and  had  already  quciu-hcd  our  thirst 
at  it.  We  did  not  need  to  go  to  the  river,  so  far  as 
that  was  concerned. 
13* 


150  KAX    AAV  AY    TO    SKA. 

The  only  thing  of  Avhich  we  really  ptood  in  need  Ava3 
something  to  eat.  We  had  not  a  morsel  of  either  bis- 
cuit or  meat,  and  Ave  had  both  become  as  hungry  as 
hawks.  There  was  not  the  slightest  prospect  of  a  sup- 
per, and  we  should  have  to  go  Avith  empty  stomachs 
until  Ave  could  reach  the  barque,  —  perhaps  not  before 
noon  of  the  foUo^nng  day. 

We  had  groAvn  so  hungry  that  my  companion  now 
Avished  he  had  brought  along  Avith  him  a  piece  of  the 
lion's  flesh,  declaring  he  could  have  eaten  a  collop  of  it 
Avell  enough.  We  had  still  Avith  us  the  skin,  but  that 
was  too  tough  for  us,  hungry  as  we  Avere. 

We  sat  doAvn  near  the  spring,  and  began  to  consider 
what  preparations  Ave  should  make  for  passing  the 
night.  We  thought  it  would  be  best  to  gather  a  quan- 
tity of  sticks  and  make  a  roaring  fire.  Not  that  we 
were  afraid  of  the  cold,  for  there  was  no  such  thing  as 
cold.  On  the  contrary,  although  it  was  near  sundoAvn, 
the  air  Avas  still  quite  hot  and  sultry.  Our  object  in 
talking  about  a  fire  was,  in  order  to  frighten  off  any 
Avild  beasts  that  might  approach  our  sleeping-place 
during  the  night. 

While  Ave  talked  we  grcAV  hungrier,  and  at  length  our 
stomachs  became  so  craving  that  Ave  could  almost  have 
eaten  the  grass !  Fortune,  howcA-er,  proA^ed  kmd  to 
us,  and  saved  us  from  becoming  grass-eaters.  Just 
as  Ave  Avere  wondering  Avhat  Ave  could  find  to  eat,  Ave 
chanced  to  see  a  large  bird  stepping  out  of  some  trees 
into  the  open  ground.  It  did  not  see  us,  for  it  was 
every  moment  coming  nearer.  It  appeared  to  be 
broAvsiug  upon  the  grass,  as  it  moved  along ;  and  thus 


EAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  1.31 

busy  seeking  its  own  food,  took  no  notice  of  anjtliing 
else. 

Ben  had  reloaded  the  "  Queen  Aiuie,"  after  killing 
tlie  lion.  The  ramrod  had  been  crooked  badly,  but  ^\•^i 
Lad  managed  to  get  it  straight  again,  so  that  it  would 
serve  ;  and  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  anything,  a  freak 
load  had  been  rammed  into  the  barrel. 

Seeing  the  great  bird  coming  so  near,  avc  quietly  lay 
down,  so  as  to  liide  our  bodies  in  the  grass,  —  while  Ben 
placed  himself  behind  a  small  bush,  through  which  he 
protruded  the  long  barrel  of  the  musket 

It  seemed  as  if  Providence  had  sent  the  bird  for  our 
supper ;  for  the  foolish  creature  walked  straight  on  until 
it  was  hardly  a  dozen  yards  from  the  muzzle  of  th(3 
"  Queen  Anne."  Just  then  Ben  pulled  the  trigger; 
and  notwithstanding  the  smalhiess  of  the  shot,  the 
great  bustard  —  for  it  proved  to  be  a  bustard  —  was 
rolled  over  on  the  grass,  as  dead  as  a  nail  in  a  door. 
So  said  Ben  as  he  picked  it  up,  and  brought  it  into  om- 
camp. 

We  now  set  to  work  upon  the  bird  ;  and,  after  pluck- 
ing and  cleaning  it,  we  kindled  a  fire,  and  jdaced  it  in 
the  blaze  to  roast.  We  might  not  have  cooked  it  in 
the  most  elegant  manner,  and  perhaps  it  Avas  a  little 
smoked;  but  if  so,  we  did  not  notice  this  while  eating 
it,  for  we  both  ate  heartily,  and  thought  it  the  most  de- 
licious morsel  we  had  ever  tasted.  Certainly,  after  the 
salt  meat  to  which  we  had  been  so  long  accustomed,  a 
fresh  bustard  —  which  is  one  of  the  richest  fiavored  of 
game  birds  —  could  not  be  otherwise  than  a  delicacy; 
and  so  much  did  we  relish  it,  that  before  going  to  sleep 


152  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

Ave  made  a  fresh  onset  upon  the  bird,  and  very  nearly 
linislied  it,  hirge  as  it  was. 

"VVe  washed  the  supper  down  with  a  drink  of  cool 
water  fi-om  the  crystal  spring ;  and  then  we  began  to 
consider  where  we  should  stretch  our  bodies  for  the 
night. 


KAX   AWAY   TO    SEA.  153 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


At  first  we  were  inclined  to  remain  where  we  had 
cooked  and  eaten  our  supper.  The  water  was  conven- 
ient, and  there  was  long  bunch-grass  upon  wliich  we 
could  rest  very  comfortably. 

But  although  it  was  then  warm  enough,  and  we 
might  have  gone  to  sleep  without  feeling  any  cold,  we 
knew  it  would  be  different  towards  the  middle  of  the 
night.  We  knew  this  from  the  experience  we  had 
already  had  of  this  part  of  the  countiy,  —  for,  notwith- 
standing the  great  heat  of  the  sun  during  the  day,  at 
night  there  wei-e  heavy  dews,  and  the  air  was  often 
foggy  and  chill.  Some  nights  on  board  the  barque  we 
had  found  it  cold  enough  for  all  the  blankets  we  could 
get.  Perhaps  it  was  not  absolutely  so  cold  as  we  fan- 
cied it,  for  at  this  time  I  knew  nothing  about  the  ther- 
mometer. It  is  like  enough  tliat  we  felt  tlie  cold  of  the 
night  more  keenly,  on  account  of  its  contrast  with  the 
great  heat  of  the  day ;  and  as  we  were  usually  at  hard 
work,  and  perspiring  all  day  long,  of  course  our  blood 
was  not  prepared  for  the  change. 

That  day  had  been  a  particularly  hot  one,  and  in 
walking  over  the  pulm-nuts,  and  toiling  through  thick- 
ets, and  other  difficult  places,  we  had  been  in  a  profuse 


151:  RAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

])ersj)Invtion  all  day  long.  As  we  had  no  blankets  to 
cover  us,  —  nothing  but  our  very  lightest  clothing, — 
we  would  be  likely  to  suffer  during  the  night  with  the 
damp  dew  falling  upon  our  bodies.  True  we  had  the 
lion's  hide  with  us,  but  this,  being  fresh  and  still  raw, 
would  not  greatly  benefit  us. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  occurred  to  us  that  we 
might  as  well  take  shelter  under  some  tree,  which,  if  it 
failed  to  warm,  would  at  least  protect  us  from  the  fall- 
ing dcAV. 

We  had  already  noticed  a  gi'ove  at  some  distance 
along  the  slope  of  the  hill.  It  appeai'ed  to  promise  the 
very  shelter  we  Avanted,  and  taking  up  the  gun,  the  lion- 
skin,  what  remained  of  the  bustard,  and  some  burning 
fagots  to  make  a  new  fire  out  of,  we  proceeded  in  the 
direction  of  the  grove. 

This  grove  appeared  of  that  kind  usually  termed  a 
coppice  or  copse,  —  such  as  may  be  often  observed  in 
English  parks.  It  was  of  a  circular  form,  and  covered 
about  half  an  acre  of  ground.  None  of  the  timber  was 
tall,  —  not  over  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  height ;  but  as  we 
drew  nearer  we  could  perceive  that  it  was  all  of  one 
sort.  This  we  could  tell  by  the  leaves,  which  were 
very  large  and  of  a  shining  green  color.  They  were 
oblong,  and  each  leaf  was  divided  into  five  leaflets,  that 
were  placed  in  relation  to  each  other  like  the  fingei'S  of 
a  hand.  Even  the  leaflets  were  like  large  entire 
leases,  and  out  of  each  bunch  of  leaves  we  could  sec 
that  there  grew  a  large  white  flower  hanging  upon  a 
long  jjendulous  flower-stalk  with  its  top  downward. 
These  flowers  gave  the  grove  a  very  beautiful  appear- 


RAX    AVv'.VY    TO    Sr.A.  155 

ance,  —  tlicix*  splendid  white  corollas  contrasting  ele- 
gantly with  the  deep  green  of  the  leaves. 

All  these  matters  Ave  noted  as  "we  drew  nigh,  for 
although  the  sun  had  gone  "doAvn,  there  was  still  light 
enough  to  view  objects  at  a  considerable  distance 

We  noticed  nothing  else  about  this  little  copse  that 
appeared  peculiar,  until  we  had  advanced  close  to  its 
edge.  We  only  observed  that  it  was  nicely  romided, 
just  as  if  it  belonged  to  some  fine  park,  and  had  been 
kept  neatly  trimmed  by  the  pruning-knife  of  the  park- 
keeper,  or  some  landscape-gardener.  Of  course  this 
was  a  peculiarity,  considering  that  the  grove  grew  in 
a  wild,  uninhabited  country,  where  no  human  hand  ever 
interfered  with  it,  as  we  supposed.  But  I  had  heard 
that  such  regularly  formed  copses  ai'e  often  met  with  in 
wild  regions,  both  on  the  table  plains  of  Southern  Africa 
and  the  prairies  of  America ;  therefore  there  was  noth- 
ing remarkable  that  they  should  be  found  in  Central 
Africa  as  well. 

On  this  account  we  had  scarce  made  any  remark 
about  the  singularity  of  its  shape,  but  approached  it 
with  no  other  intention  than  to  obtain  shelter  under  it. 
Its  dense  foliage,  promising  protection  from  dew,  or 
even  rain  if  it  should  fall,  appeared  to  invite  us ;  and 
we  were  resolved  to  accept  its  proffered  hospitality. 

It  was  only  Avhen  we  got  very  close  to  it,  that  we  per- 
ceived the  true  natui-e  of  this  singular  grove,  —  and 
then  we  noticed  a  peculiarity  that  astonished  us.  In- 
£tea;l  of  a  grove  covering  nearly  an  acre  of  ground,  as 
Ave  ]ia<l  conjectured,  yon  may  fancy  our  surprise  on  per- 
celvir.g  ib.at  the  Avlsole  cop  e  con^i^aed  of  but  one  tree! 


156  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

Sure  enough,  there  was  only  one  tree,  and  it  was  the 
vast  umbrageous  head  of  leaves  and  flowers  that  we 
had  mistaken  for  a  whole  gi-ove ! 

But  such  a  tree  was  that !      If  we  had  been  aston-  , 
ished  by  the  dragon-tree,  our  astonishment  was  now 
more  than  doubled,  on  beholding  the  gigantic  monarch 
of  trees,  that  now  spread  widely  before  our  eyes.     The 
dragon-tree  sank  into  a  shi'ub  in  comparison  with  it. 

If  I  were  to  give  the  dimensions  of  this  enormous 
vegetable,  I  should  scarce  be  credited,  but  fortunately 
its  giant  proportions  do  not  rest  on  my  authority  alone. 
Trees  of  a  similar  kind,  and  of  the  very  same  species, 
have  been  described  by  botanists,  and  therefore  their 
vast  size  is  well  known  to  the  scientific  world. 

The  one  discovered  by  Brace  and  myself  had  a  trunk 
of  full  a  hundred  feet  girth.  I  cannot  speak  exactly,  as 
I  had  no  measuring  string,  and  it  would  have  taken  a 
pretty  long  cord  to  have  gone  round  it ;  but  Ben  meas- 
ured it  carefully  wuth  his  arms,  and  pronounced  it  to  be 
"  twenty-five  fadoms."  Now  Ben's  "  fadoms "  were 
good  fathoms,  for  he  was  a  long-armed  man  ;  and,  there- 
fore, I  conclude  that  the  trunk  was  at  least  a  hundred 
feet  in  circumference.  At  the  height  of  about  a  dozen 
feet  from  the  ground,  the  trunk  forked  into  a  niunber  of 
great  branches,  each  of  which  was  like  a  tree  of  itself; 
and,  in  fact,  some  of  them  were  far  thicker  than  most 
trees  of  the  forest.  These  branches  stretched  out  for 
many  yards,  —  at  first  horizontally,  but  as  they  tapered 
towards  a  point,  they  began  gradually  to  curve  down- 
Avards,  until  their  extreme  ends  —  the  topmost  twi^s 
with  their  leaves  —  quite  touched  the  earth.    It  was  for 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  157 

this  reason  we  had  not  been  able  to  see  the  main  trunk 
as  we  approached.  Tlie  fohage  of  tlie  outer  boughs 
concealed  it  from  tlie  view,  and  hence  we  had  mistaken 
the  single  tree  for  a  grove  or  coppice.  It  the  more 
resembled  this  on  account  of  its  height ;  for,  as  already 
observed,  its  topmost  branches  did  not  exceed  thirty  or 
forty  feet  in  clear  altitude.  It  was  therefore  not  the 
tallest  tree  in  the  world,  though  it  was  certainly  one  of 
the  thickest. 

Now  it  so  chanced  that  I  knew  what  kind  of  tree  it 
was,  —  even  to  its  name;  my  "wonder  book"  had  not 
omitted  to  describe  the  vegetable  curiosity.  It  Avas  the 
great  baobab. 


14 


158  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CIIAPTEE    XXVII. 

I  KNEW  that  the  tree  had  other  names  as  •well  as 
Ijaobab  ;  that  the  negroes  of  Senegal  call  it  the  "  mon- 
key's-bread-tree,"  the  "  sour  gourd,"  and  "  lalo  plant," 
and  my  book  had  been  minute  enough  to  give  the  bo- 
tanical name,  which  is  Adansonia,  —  so  called  from  a 
distinguished  French  botanist,  of  the  name  of  Adanson, 
who,  long  ago,  travelled  through  Western  Africa,  and 
was  the  first  to. describe  this  Avonderful  tree.  I  even 
remembered  Adanson's  description  of  it,  and  his  state- 
ment, that  he  believed  there  were  some  baobab-trees 
five  thousand  years  old,  or  coeval  with  the  creation  of 
the  world.  He  had  himself  measured  some  of  them 
seventy-five  feet  in  girth,  and  had  heard  of  others  that 
exceeded  one  hundred  !  This  I  could  now  believe.  I 
remembered,  moreover,  that  he  had  stated,  that  the 
fruit  of  the  tree  was  a  large  oblong  body,  full  nine  inch- 
es long,  of  a  dull  greenisli  color,  and  covered  over  the 
surface  with  a  hoary  down  ;  that  it  was  like  a  gourd, 
and  when  opened  exhibited  several  cells,  with  hard 
shining  seeds,  immersed  in  a  soft  pulp  ;  that  out  of  this 
pulp,  the  natives,  where  the  tree  grew,  manufactured 
an  acidulous  drink  that  was  good  for  curing  fevers  ;  that 
the  leaves,  when  dried  and  bruised,  were,  by  the  same 


KAN    AWAY    TO     SEA.  15D. 

people,  mixed  with  theii*  food,  to  counteract  too  profuse 
perspiration  ;  that,  moreover,  the  larger  leaves  are  used 
for  covering  their  huts,  and  out  of  the  bark  they  manu- 
factured a  sort  of  cordage,  and  also  a  coarse  kind  of 
cloth,  which  the  poorer  people  wore  around  their  thighs, 
forming  a  covering  that  reached  from  the  waist  to  the 
knees.  Vessels,  also,  were  procured  from  the  outside 
shell  of  the  fruit,  which  served  in  the  same  manner  as 
those  obtained  from  the  gourd  or  calabash-tree. 

All  these  things  did  I  remember  at  that  moment,  ayd 
intended  to  communicate  them  to  my  companion  as 
soon  as  we  had  got  fixed  for  the  night ;  but  as  yet  we 
had  only  arrived  on  the  ground,  and  had  learnt  nothing 
more  about  the  gigantic  vegetable,  than  that  it  was  all 
one  single  tree,  for  we  could  still  make  out  the  main 
trunk  tlu'ough  the  glimmer  of  the  twilight.  Of  course, 
the  measurement  made  by  Brace  was  an  after  i^erfonn- 
ance,  and  was  not  done  till  long  after  we  had  arrived 
on  tlie  ground. 

Well,  we  had  arrived  by  this  wonderful  tree  ;  and 
stooping  down,  and  entering  under  its  branches,  we  saw 
at  a  glance  it  was  the  very  place  for  us  to  pass  the 
niglit.  A  house  could  hardly  have  served  us  better ; 
and  as  for  room,  there  was  enough  to  have  accommo- 
dated tlie  ci'ew  of  a  three-decker.  It  hardly  mattei-ed 
A',  here  we  lay  down,  —  as  under  its  wide-spread  canopy 
there  was  ample  choice,  and  nowhere  was  the  dew  like- 
ly to  disturb  our  sluml)ers. 

We  were  determined,  howeviM-,  to  light  a  fire,  fur  we 
wiM'e  still  in  dread  of  the  wild  beasts.  !Xo  woudei",  alter 
such  a  day's  adventures. 


160  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Though  it  was  almost  dark  under  the  shadow  of  the 
tree,  it  was  still  twilight  beyond,  and  there  was  yet 
light  enough  for  us  to  collect  fuel  for  our  fire.  So, 
throwing  down  our  lion-skin,  and  other  impediments, 
we  proceeded  to  gather  the  logs.  At  a  short  distance 
off,  we  found  a  quantity  of  dead  timber,  that  would 
serve  admirably  for  fuel,  and  three  or  four  double  arm- 
fuls  would  be  sufficient. 

We  were  not  slow  in  bringing  them  up  ;  and,  choos- 
ing a  place  under  one  of  the  great  horizontal  limbs,  we 
built  our  camp  fire.  The  limb  was  so  thick  and  broad 
underneath,  that  it  formed  a  roof  of  itself  ample  enough 
to  shelter  us  from  any  rain  that  might  fall,  and  the 
ground  underneath  was  as  dry  as  tinder,  so  that  we  had 
every  prospect  of  getting  a  comfortable  night's  rest. 

We  built  our  fire  at  some  distance  from  the  main 
trunk ;  and  as  soon  as  it  was  fairly  kindled,  we  gave 
over  work,  and  sat  down  beside  it. 

Ben  had  his  clay  pipe  in  his  pocket ;  and,  filling  this 
with  the  narcotic  weed,  he  set  to  smoking  with  great 
contentment.  I  was  myself  very  happy.  After  my 
experience  on  board  the  barque,  this  free  forest  life 
was  positively  charming,  and  I  thought  I  should  like 
to  continue  it  for  ever.  Though  I  did  not  join  my 
companion  in  a  smoke,  I  sat  down  opposite  to  him,  and 
we  both  indulged  in  the  pleasure  of  unrestrained  con- 
versation. 

I  have  said  that,  when  we  first  entered  under  the 
shadow  of  the  baobab,  it  was  quite  dark  there,  — just 
as  dark  as  night  itself,  —  and  Ave  could  not  see  six  feet 
beyond  our  noses  in  any  direction ;  but  soon  the  fire, 


EAN    AM'AY    TO    S"A.  161 

blazing  up,  enabled  us  to  note  our  new  quarters  more 
particularly.  We  could  see  above  our  heads  the  long 
egg-shaped  fruit  hanging  down  from  among  the  large 
leaves,  while  strewed  over  the  ground  were  many  tliat 
had  fallen  from  over-ripeness,  and  the  shells  of  others 
that  had  opened,  and  shed  their  seeds,  and  were  now 
dry  and  empty. 

All  these  things  we  noticed  in  a  few  seconds  of  time, 
— just  while  the  fagots  were  beginning  to  blaze ;  but 
our  attention  was  called  away  from  such  observations, 
and  concentrated  upon  a  single  object,  which  at  once 
created  within  us  an  eager  curiosity. 

This  object  was  an  odd  appearance  that  presented 
itself  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  Directly  beyond  the 
lire,  but  —  as  already  stated  —  at  some  distance  fi'om 
it,  rose  the  main  trunk,  like  a  vast  wall.  The  bark 
was  of  a  brownish-gray  color,  Avrinkled  and  gnarled, 
and  with  many  knots  and  inequalities  over  its  surface. 
But  in  spite  of  this  unevenness,  as  soon  as  the  flames 
brightened  up,  we  noticed  four  regular  lines,  or  cracks, 
upon  the  trunk,  meeting  each  other  at  right  angles. 
These  lines  formed  a  parallelogram  about  thi'ee  feet  in 
length  by  two  in  breadth.  The  bottom  line  was  about 
two  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground ;  and  the 
parallelogram  itself  was  outlined  lengthwise  against  the 
tree. 

As  soon  as  we  set  eyes  upon  it,  we  saw  that  such  a 
regularly  formed  figure  could  not  have  arisen  from  any 
natural  cause,  —  the  bark  could  not  have  split  itself 
into  so  perfect  a  shape.  It  was  clear  that  the  thing 
was  artificial,  —  that  is,  that  it  had  been  done  by  the 
14* 


1!'2  r.A.v  XV,' XY  TO  s:-,.v. 

hand  of  man.  In  fiict,  as  vre  oLservf'd  it  more  minutely', 
we  eoiild  tell  tlitit  this  had  been  so ;  for  the  marks  of 
a  knife  or  some  other  cutting  instrument  were  discern- 
ible in  the  wood,  —  though  the  work  had  been  done 
long  ago,  and  the  color  gave  no  indication  of  when  it 
had  been  done.  The  lines  were  of  the  same  dull  gray 
as  the  natural  cracks  on  other  parts  of  the  tree 

Our  curiosity  being  excited,  my  comj^anion  and  I 
rose  from  the  fire,  and  approached  the  great  trunk  to 
examine  it.  Had  it  been  in  an  inhabited  country  we 
should  have  thought  nothing  of  it,  —  for  then  we  should 
have  fancied  that  some  one  had  been  cutting  out  figures 
in  the  bark  of  the  tree  for  their  amusement,  —  perhaps 
some  idle  boys,  —  as  I  had  often  done  myself,  and  so 
had  Ben,  when  he  was  an  idle  boy.  But  during  aU 
that  day's  ramble  we  had  met  with  no  human  being, 
nor  had  we  seen  either  sign  or  track  of  one ;  and  we 
were  pretty  certain,  from  what  we  had  been  told,  that 
this  part  of  the  country  was  altogether  without  inhab- 
itants. Therefore  it  was  that  the  figure  cut  upon  the 
bark  of  the  baobab  surprised  us,  —  for  this  was  a  sign 
that  human  beings  had  been  there  before  us,  —  though 
it  may  have  been  ever  so  long  before. 

We  approached  the  trunk  then  to  examine  it  more 
closely. 

As  we  came  near,  we  observed  that  the  lines  Avere 
very  deep,  —  as  if  they  had  been  cut  into  the  wood,  — 
but  beyond  this  there  was  nothing  remarkable.  There 
Avas  no  other  carving,  as  we  had  expected,  —  nothing 
but  this  oblong  figure,  which  had  something  of  the 
shape  of  a  small  window  or  door.     Li  fact,  as  Ave  stood 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  163 

gazing  at  it,  it  suggested  to  us  the  idea  of  a  little  door 
that  opened  into  the  side  of  the  tree,  for  the  crack  all 
ai'ound  its  edge  looked  black,  as  if  we  could  see  into 
some  dark  cavity  beyond  it. 

This  idea  occurred  to  me  as  I  stood  gazing  at  it,  and 
Ben  had  a  similar  fancy. 

"  Dang  it,  Will'm ! "  said  he,  stepping  nearer  to  it, 
"it  be  a  door,  I  believe,"  and  then,  leaning  forward, 
and  striking  it  with  his  fist,  he  exclaimed  :  "  Shiver  my 
timbei's,  if 't  a'n't  a  door !  Listen,  lad  !  d'  ye  hear  that  ? 
it  sounds  as  hollow  as  a  empty  cask !  " 

Sure  enough,  the  stroke  of  the  sailoi"'s  knuckles  on 
the  bark  gave  back  a  hollow  report,  —  quite  unlike  that 
which  would  have  been  made  by  striking  the  solid  trunk 
of  a  tree.  Moreover,  we  saw  that  the  part  which  had 
been  struck  shook  under  the  blow.  Beyond  a  doubt 
the  tree  was  hollow,  and  the  part  that  had  attracted  us 
was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  door  cut  in  its  side. 

This  point  was  at  once  settled  ;  for  Ben,  with  another 
"  Shiver  my  timbers,"  raised  his  foot,  and  bestowed  a 
lusty  kick  upon  the  part  that  Avas  loose.  It  instantly 
caved  in,  and  exhibited  to  our  astonished  eyes  a  door 
in  the  side  of  the  tree  leading  into  a  dark  cavity  beyond ! 

Ben  immediately  ran  back  to  the  fire  ;  and,  taking 
up  several  of  the  blazing  fagots,  —  and  placing  them 
side  by  side,  so  as  to  form  a  torch,  —  returned  with 
them  to  the  trunk.  Holding  the  torch  before  the  mouth 
of  the  cavity,  Ave  peeped  in,  when  a  sight  met  our  eyes 
that  produced  something  more  than  astonishment, — 
something  very  near  akin  to  terror.  We  both  shared 
this  feeling ;  and  my  companion,  though  a  man,  and  a 


1G4  RAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

very  brave  man,  was  quite  as  mucli  terrified  as  I.  In 
fact,  I  saw  that  his  frame  shook  all  over,  and  liis  liands 
trembled  in  such  a  manner,  that  several  of  the  fagots 
fell  from  his  fingers,  and  he  appeared  for  some  seconds 
to  hesitate  whether  he  would  not  fling  the  torch  away 
and  take  to  his  heels  ! 

It  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at,  when  one  considers 
the  strange  sight  that  was  revealed  to  our  eyes.  It 
would  have  tried  the  nerves  of  the  boldest  mortal  that 
ever  lived,  to  have  looked  into  that  dark  tree-cave, 
without  a  previous  knowledge  of  what  was  contained 
therein ;  and  no  wonder  that  Ben  Bi-ace  uttered  a  wild 
exclamation,  and  stood  shivering  in  speechless  terror. 

Within  the  trunk  of  the  tree  Avas  a  chamber.  It  was 
of  square  form,  about  six  or  seven  feet  in  length, 
breadth,  and  height.  It  was  no  natural  cavity  of 
decayed  wood,  but  had  evidently  been  hollowed  out  by 
the  hands  of  men,  not  very  exactly,  but  roughly  hewn 
as  if  by  an  axe. 

Along  the  back  a  portion  of  the  wood  had  been  left, 
resembling  a  bench  or  banquette,  and  upon  this  bench 
were  the  objects  that  had  excited  our  terror.  Three 
human  forms  were  seated  upon  it,  with  their  faces 
turned  towards  the  entrance.  They  were  sitting,  —  as 
men  ordinarily  do  when  resting  themselves,  —  with 
their  backs  leaning  against  the  rearmost  wall  of  the 
chamber,  and  their  arms  hanging  loosely  by  their  sides, 
—  their  knees  bent,  and  their  limbs  somewhat  stretched 
out  towards  the  centre  of  the  floor. 

There  was  no  motion  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  three  ; 
for  although  they  were  human  forms,  they  were  not  liv- 


EAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  1G5 

ing  ones,  nor  yet  were  they  dead  bodies  !  No,  they 
Avere  neither  living  men  nor  dead  men,  and  this  added 
to  our  consternation  on  beholding  them.  Had  they 
been  alive,  or  only  corpses,  the  sight  would  have  been 
natural ;  but  they  were  neither  one  nor  the  other.  In 
their  time  they  had  been  both  ;  but  it  must  have  been 
a  long  while  ago,  for  noAv  they  resembled  neither ! 

They  were  all  three  shrivelled,  dried  up  as  mummies, 
but  they  were  not  mummies  either.  They  more  resem- 
bled skeletons  encased  in  suits  of  black  leather,  that, 
although  fitting  tightly  to  their  bodies,  was  nevertheless 
wrinkled  and  puckered  ai'ound  them.  There  was  wool 
upon  their  crowns,  —  they  had  evidently  been  negroes, 
—  and  their  eyes  were  still  in  their  heads,  though  lus- 
treless and  dried  up  within  the  sockets  like  the  rest  of 
the  flesh.  One  thing  still  preserved  its  lustre,  and  that 
was  their  teeth.  The  lips,  shrivelled  and  drawn  buck, 
exposed  these  fully  to  view  ;  and  in  the  mouths  of  all 
three  the  double  rows  of  teeth  wei-e  shining  like  white 
ivory.  These,  contrasting  with  the  sombre  hue  of  their 
skins,  and  aided  by  the  skeleton  form  of  their  heads, 
and  the  gaunt  prominence  of  their  jaws,  produced  an 
appearance  that  was  hideous  and  unearthly  in  the 
extreme. 

No  wonder  my  companion  shivered  when  he  saw 
them. 


IGG  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

You  will  be  sui'pi-ised  to  hear,  that  I  was  not  far 
more  frightened  than  he.  It  would  have  been  natural 
that  I  should,  being  younger  and  less  courageous 
but  in  reality  I  was  not.  In  fact,  after  a  little  terror 
which  I  experienced  at  the  first  shock,  I  was  not  fright- 
ened at  all. 

Of  coui'se  such  a  wild,  hideous  spectacle — those 
three  skeleton  forms,  with  rigid  limbs  and  bodies,  and 
rows  of  white,  grinning  teeth  —  was  calculated  to  pro- 
duce fear  in  any  one,  particularly  when  discovered  in 
such  a  singular  place,  and  seen,  as  we  saw  them,  under 
the  glaring  light  of  a  torch ;  and  I  will  not  deny,  that 
at  the  first  glance  I  was  as  badly  terrified  as  my  com- 
panion, and  perhaps  even  worse. 

But  my  terror  was  short-lived,  for  almost  in  the  next 
moment  I  was  quite  free  from  it ;  and  I  stood  regard- 
ing the  skeleton  bodies  with  no  other  feelings  than  those 
of  a  keen  curiosity, — just  as  if  I  had  been  lookmg  at 
mummies  in  a  museum. 

I  know  you  will  be  surprised  at  this  exhibition  of 
sang  froid  on  my  part,  and  deem  it  extraordinary  ;  but 
there  is  nothing  extraordinary  about  it.  It  is  easily 
explained,  and  I  proceed  to  give  the  explanation. 


KAX    A^VAY    TO    SEA.  1 07 

My  ''  wonder  book  "  is  again  the  key,  —  it  was  to 
this  I  wSs  indebted  for  ridding  me  of  my  fright,  and 
oaee  more  giving  me  the  advantage  over  my  unlettered 
companion.  In  tliat  book  I  remembered  having  read 
—  of  course  in  the  same  cliapter  that  treated  of  the 
baobab  —  how  a  curious  practice  existed  among  some 
tribes  of  negroes,  of  hollowing  out  the  great  trunks  of 
these  trees  into  vaults  or  chambers,  and  there  depositing 
their  dead.  It  was  not  those  who  died  naturally  wlio 
were  thus  disposed  of,  but  malefactors,  —  men  who  had 
been  executed  for  some  great  crime ;  and  whose  bodies 
were  denied  the  right  of  burial  in  the  regular  way ;  for 
these  savage  people  have  strong  prejudices  in  such  mat- 
ters, just  as  we  find  among  the  most  Christian  and  civ- 
ilized nations. 

Instead,  therefore,  of  flinging  the  bodies  of  those 
upon  whom  capital  punishment  has  been  inflicted  to  the 
hyenas  and  jackals,  and  leaving  them  to  be  devoured 
by  these  voracious  brutes,  tlie  negroes  give  them  a 
species  of  sepuUure ;  and  that  is  as  described,  by  clos- 
ing them  up  in  vaults  hewn  in  the  trunks  of  the  bao- 
bab, —  and  in  my  opinion  a  very  comfortable  kind  of 
tomb  it  is.  The  bodies  thus  deposited  do  not  decom- 
pose or  decay  as  those  buried  in  the  ordinary  way ;  on 
the  contrary,  from  some  preservative  quality  in  the 
wood,  or  the  atmospliere  of  the  place,  they  become 
desiccated,  or  dried  up  very  much  after  the  manner 
of  mummies,  and  in  this  state  remain  for  hundreds 
of  years. 

You  may  wonder  why  the  negroes,  for  the  sake  of 
mere  criminals,  take  so  much  trouble  as  to  form  these 


1C8  RAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA. 

large  vaults  in  the  solid  trunks  of  trees ;  and  especially 
with  such  rude  implements  as  they  are  used  to  make 
them  with.  But  this  wonder  will  cease  when  I  inform 
you  that  the  hollowing  out  a  chamber  in  the  trunk  of  a 
baobab  is  a  mere  bagatelle,  and  costs  but  trifling  labor. 
The  wood  of  this  great  tree  is  remarkably  soft  and  po- 
rous, and  a  cavity  can  be  scooped  out  in  it  almost  as 
easily  as  in  the  side  of  a  turnip,  —  at  all  events  Avith 
not  greater  difficulty  than  in  a  hard  bank  of  clay  or 
earth  ;  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the  negroes  to  hew 
out  large  chambers  in  the  trunks  of  the  baobab  for 
other  purposes  besides  the  one  above  mentioned. 

Remembering  to  have  read  the  account  of  all  these 
matters,  I  had,  therefore,  quite  the  advantage  of  my 
companion,  Avho  had  never  read  a  word  about  them  ; 
and  when  Ben  turned  round  and  perceived  that  I  was 
regarding  the  scene  with  perfect  coolness,  while  he  him- 
self was  shaking  in  his  shoes,  he  appeared  quite  aston- 
ished at  my  behavior. 

I  soon  explained  to  him  the  reason  why  I  was  so 
brave  ;  on  hearing  which  Ben  grew  brave  himself;  and 
after  rej^lenishing  our  torch  by  fresh  fagots  from  the 
fire,  we  both  squeezed  ourselves  through  the  narrow 
entrance,  and  stood  within  the  chamber  of  the  dead. 
We  were  no  longer  afraid,  even  to  lay  our  hands  upon 
the  skeletons,  —  which  we  found  perfectly  dry  and  in 
no  way  decayed,  either  by  being  eaten  with  moths,  ants, 
or  destroying  insects  of  any  kind,  —  all  of  which  must 
have  been  kept  away  from  them  by  the  peculiar  odor 
of  the  wood  by  which  they  were  surrounded. 

Like   enough  the  hyenas  and  jackals  would  have 


RAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  169 

rogfirded  this  but  little,  and  would  long  since  have 
dragged  the  bodies  fortli ;  but,  as  already  stated,  there 
was  a  door,  and  a  strong  one,  wiiieli  had  fitted  exactly 
to  the  entrance  of  the  chamber,  and  whicli  was  evi- 
dently the  thick  bark  of  the  tree,  that  had  been  care- 
fully cut  out,  at  the  making  of  the  chamber,  and  then 
replaced.  This  door  fitting  exactly  liad  no  doubt  been 
firm  enough  to  resist  any  attack  of  wild  beasts,  at  the 
time  the  bodies  had  been  first  deposited  within,  —  but 
being  now  dry,  it  had  got  loose,  and  easily  yielded  to 
the  sturdy  kick  of  the  sailor. 

We  remained  for  some  time  inside  this  curious  apart- 
ment and  examined  every  corner  of  it  minutely.  It 
was  evident  to  us  that  it  had  not  been  entered  for 
years,  —  as  there  was  no  sign  of  anything  having  been 
disturbed  in  it.  Perliaps  no  human  being  had  ever 
opened  the  door  since  the  dead  had  been  deposited 
within  ;  and  although  there  was  no  means  of  telling 
how  long  since  that  event  might  have  taken  place,  the 
appearance  of  the  dry,  witliered  bodies  plainly  pointed 
to  a  very  ancient  date  for  their  interment.  Perhaps  it 
may  have  occurred  at  a  time  when  the  country  around 
was  thickly  peopled  with  inhabitants  ;  or  at  aU  events 
when  some  tribe  dwelt  in  the  neighborhood,  who  had 
long  ago  perished  by  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  or, 
what  is  more  likely,  had  been  made  captive,  sold  into 
slavery,  and  carried  across  the  Atlantic  to  the  colonies 
of  America. 

Such  rcithictions  were  passing  througli  my  mind  as  I 
stood  within  that  singular  chamber,  and  gazed  upon  the 
three  strange  creatures  that  had  so  long  been  its  ten- 

15 


170  KAN    AAVAY    TO    SKA. 

ants.  I  think  the  reflections  of  my  companion  were  of 
a  different  character.  I  suspect  he  was  at  that  mo- 
ment thinking  whether  there  might  not  be  some  treas- 
ure entombed  along  with  them,  for  he  was  cai-rying  liis 
torch  into  every  corner  of  the  apartment,  and  eagerly 
searching  every  crack  and  cranny  with  his  eyes,  as  if 
he  expected  something  to  turn  up,  —  perhaps  a  bag  of 
gold-dust,  or  some  of  those  precious  stones  that  are 
often  found  in  possession  of  the  savages. 

If  he  had  any  such  expectations,  however,  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment ;  for,  with  the  exception  of 
the  three  skeletons  themselves,  not  one  article  of  any 
kind  —  either  of  dress  or  ornament  —  was  found  in 
the  place. 

Having  satisfied  himself  about  this,  and  taken  one 
more  glance  at  the  three  silent  denizens  of  the  tree- 
chamber,  Ben,  in  a  serio-comic  fashion,  made  a  salaam 
to  them,  and  wished  them  good-night. 

We  now  returned  to  our  fire  Avith  the  intention  of 
going  to  sleep ;  for  although  it  was  not  yet  late,  we  felt 
wearied  after  the  day's  wandering  about ;  and,  stretch- 
ing ourselves  along  the  dry  ground  by  the  side  of 
the  blazmg  fagots,  we  composed  ourselves  for  the 
niffht. 


ea:^  away  to  sea.  171 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 


We  both  fell  asleep  almost  instantaneously,  but  I  am 
unable  to  say  how  long  we  continued  to  sleep.  It  did 
not  seem  more  than  five  minutes,  and  then  we  were 
awakened  by  a  noise,  that  was  loud  enough  and  disa- 
greeable enough  to  have  waked  up  the  dead.  It  was 
one  of  the  strangest  noises  I  had  ever  heard  in  my  life ; 
and  neither  of  us  could  make  out  what  was  causing  it, 
though  there  could  be  no  doubt  it  proceeded  from  some 
kind  of  animals. 

At  first  we  thought  it  was  wolves,  or  rather  hyenas 
and  jackals,  —  since  these  are  the  wolves  of  Africa,  — • 
and  some  of  the  sounds  resembled  the  voices  of  these 
creatures,  with  which  we  were  already  acquainted,  from 
hearing  them  every  night  around  the  barracoons  of 
King  Dingo,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  river.  But 
there  were  other  sounds  of  a  different  kind,  —  shrill 
screams,  and  calls  hke  the  mewing  of  cats,  and  now 
and  then  a  chattering  and  gibbering  that  bore  a  resem- 
blance to  the  voices  of  human  beings,  or,  more  correct- 
ly, to  the  ravings  of  maniacs  ! 

Evidently  there  were  many  creatures  making  tliese 
noises  ;  but  what  sort  of  beings  they  were,  neither  my 
companion   nor   I   could  form   any   conjecture.     The 


172  nAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

sounds  were  harsh  and  disagreeable,  —  every  tone  of 
them  calculated  to  produce  terror  in  those  Avho  might 
listen  to  them,  —  and  they  terrified  us  as  soon  as  we 
were  awake  to  hear  them. 

Both  of  us  sprang  instantly  up,  and  looked  around 
in  affright,  expecting  every  moment  to  be  attacked ;  but 
although  we  could  hear  the  noises  on  every  side,  we 
were  as  yet  unable  to  see  who  or  what  was  making 
them.  Our  fire  glimmered  faintly,  and  enabled  us  to 
see  only  to  a  very  shoi't  distance  around  us ;  but,  in 
order  to  get  a  better  view,  Ben  mechanically  kicked  up 
the  half-burnt  sticks ;  and  then  a  bright  blaze  was 
produced,  which  lit  up  the  whole  space  shadowed  by 
the  branches  of  the  baobab. 

As  yet  we  could  see  nothing,  —  for  the  noises  pro- 
ceeded out  of  the  thick  darkness  beyond ;  but  we  could 
perceive  that  they  came  from  all  sides, — from  behind 
as  well  as  before  us.  Whatever  creatures  they  were 
that  were  uttering  these  horrid  sounds  were  not  all  in 
one  place ;  they  were  everywhere  around  the  gi'eat 
tree ;  we  were  in  fact  surrounded  by  a  large  host  of 
them,  —  completely  encompassed. 

The  sounds  now  appeared  to  grow  louder  and  nearer ; 
and  as  we  stood  gazing  out  into  the  darkness,  we  began 
to  perceive  certain  bright  spots,  that  scintillated  and 
sparkled  like  jets  of  moving  fire.  These  spots  were 
round  and  of  a  greenish  lustre ;  and  as  we  looked  upon 
them  we  were  soon  able  to  tell  what  they  were,  —  they 
were  eyes ! 

Yes,  they  were  the  eyes  of  some  animals,  though  of 
what  sort  we  could  not  guess.     That  they  were  fierce 


KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  173 

creatures,  perhaps  beasts  of  prey,  we  had  every  reason 
to  believe.  Their  wikl  cries,  and  the  manner  of  their 
approach,  proved  this ;  for  they  were  approacliing,  — 
every  moment  drawing  nearer  and  nearer. 

In  a  very  few  seconds  they  had  got  so  close,  that  we 
could  see  them  distinctly  enough,  and  no  longer  con- 
jectured about  Avhat  kind  of  animals  they  were.  I  knew 
them  as  soon  as  the  light  enabled  me  to  get  a  view  of 
them.  I  knew  them  from  having  seen  some  of  their 
kind  in  a  menagerie,  and  my  companion  was  even  better 
acquainted  with  them,  —  they  were  baboons. 

The  discovery  did  not  in  any  way  tend  to  allay  the 
apprehensions  which  their  voices  had  created.  Quite 
the  contrary  was  the  elfect  produced.  We  both  knew 
well  enough  the  fierce  disposition  of  these  brutes,  —  any 
one  who  has  ever  witnessed  their  behavior  in  the 
cage  must  be  acquainted  with  the  fact,  that  they  are 
the  most  spiteful  and  savage  creatures  that  can  be 
imagined,  and  exceedingly  dangerous  to  be  approached. 
And  this,  too,  after  being  tamed  and  constantly  receiv- 
ing kindness  from  the  hand  of  man !  Still  more  dan- 
gerous are  they  in  their  native  h  ;unts,  —  so  much  so, 
that  the  woods  which  they  inhabit  are  never  traversed 
by  the  natives  without  great  precaution,  and  only  whea 
several  persons  well  armed  go  together. 

Now  both  my  companion  and  I  were  well  acquainted 
with  these  facts ;  and  to  say  that  we  were  scared,  when 
we  saw  the  baboons  approaching  our  place  of  .encamp- 
ment, is  only  to  declare  the  simple  truth.  We  were 
scared,  and  badly  scared  too, —  quite  as  much  temfied 
as  we  had  been  by  the  sight  of  the  lion. 
13* 


174  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

We  saw,  moreover,  that  these  baboons  were  of  tho 
largest  and  most  dangerous  kind,  —  for  there  are  sev- 
eral different  species  of  baboons  in  Africa.  These  were 
tlie  hideous  "  mandrils,"  as  we  could  tell  by  their  great, 
swollen  cheeks,  of  purple  and  scarlet  color,  tliat  shone 
conspicuously  under  the  hght  of  our  fire.  We  could 
distinguish  their  thick,  hog-like  snouts,  and  yellow  chin- 
beards,  as  they  advanced ;  and  we  had  no  doubt  about 
what  sort  of  enemy  Avas  before  us. 

Plad  there  been  only  one  or  two  of  these  hideous 
brutes,  an  attack  from  them  would  have  been  dangerous 
enough,  —  far  more  so  than  an  encounter  with  hyenas 
or  fierce  mastiff  dogs,  for  the  mandril  is  more  than  a 
match  for  either.  But  what  was  our  dismay  on  per- 
ceiving that  the  brutes  were  in  great  numbers,  —  in  fact 
a  whole  flock  or  tribe  was  on  the  ground,  and  advan- 
cing towards  us  from  all  sides.  Turn  which  Avay  we 
would,  their  eyes  were  gleaming  upon  us,  and  their 
painted  faces  shining  under  the  blaze.  From  all  sides 
came  their  cries  of  menace,  —  so  shrill  and  loud  that 
we  could  not  hear  our  own  voices,  as  we  spoke  to  one 
another ! 

About  their  design  there  could  be  no  doubt:  they 
were  evidently  advancing  to  attack  us ;  and  the  reason 
why  they  did  not  rush  forward  at  once  may  have  been 
that  they  had  some  dread  of  approaching  the  fire ;  or 
perhaps  they  had  not  yet  made  up  their  minds  as  to 
what  sort  of  enemies  we  were. 

It  was  not  likely,  however,  that  the  fire  would  keep 
them  off  for  any  long  period  of  time.  They  would  soon 
become  accustomed  to  it ;  and,  in  fact,  every  moment 


KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  175 

they  appeared  to  gain  confidence,  and  drew  nearer  and 
nearer. 

Wliat  was  to  be  done?  Against  sucli  a  host  we 
could  not  defend  ourselves,  not  for  five  minutes,  had  we 
been  armed  ever  so  well.  The  powerful  brutes  would 
have  pulled  us  down  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and 
torn  us  to  pieces  with  their  strong,  hog-like  tusks. 
Defence  would  be  idle,  —  there  was  no  other  mode  of 
escape  than  to  endeavor  to  get  away  from  the  ground. 

But  how  ?  to  climb  up  into  the  tree  would  not  avail 
us,  though  it  had  saved  us  from  the  lion.  These 
mandrils  could  climb  better  than  we ;  they  would  soon 
overtake  us,  and  tear  us  to  pieces  among  the  branches. 

We  next  thought  of  running  out  into  the  open  ground, 
and  escaping  by  flight.  Probably  we  should  have  made 
the  attempt,  but  turn  which  way  we  might  we  saw  that 
the  baboons  were  in  the  way,  —  a  complete  circle  of 
them  had  formed  around  us,  several  ranks  deep ;  and 
had  we  attempted  to  pass  through  them,  it  was  plain 
they  could  have  seized  upon  us  and  dragged  us  down. 
In  short,  we  were  surrounded,  and  our  retreat  cut  off". 

"We  were  fairly  at  a  stand,  and  could  think  of  no 
means  of  escape.  And  yet  to  remain  where  we  were 
was  to  be  attacked  to  a  certainty ;  for  every  moment 
the  threatening  ranks  were  closing  around  us,  —  still 
continuing  to  utter  the  same  horrid  cries, —  Avhich, 
probably,  were  pai'tly  meant  to  terrify  us,  and  partly 
to  encourage  each  other  in  the  onset.  I  am  very  sure 
that  but  for  the  fire,  —  which  was  no  doubt  a  strange 
sight  to  them,  —  they  would  not  have  wasted  time  in 
the  attack,  but  would  have  sprung  forward  upon  us  at 


17G  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

once.  But  tlie  fire,  which  they  still  appeared  to  regard 
with  some  degree  of  suspicion,  held  them  back. 

Perceiving  this,  my  companion  bethought  him  of  a 
means  of  fartlier  putting  them  in  fear ;  and,  calling  upon 
me  to  follow  his  example,  he  caught  up  one  of  the 
blazing  fagots,  and,  rushing  out  towards  the  nearest, 
waved  the  brand  in  their  faces.  I  did  as  I  saw  him, 
only  going  towards  the  opposite  side  of  the  circle  of  our 
assailants. 

The  manoeuvre  was  not  without  its  effect.  The 
baboons  retreated  before  this  odd  species  of  assault, 
but  not  so  precipitately  as  to  leave  any  hope  of  our 
being  able  to  drive  them  off  altogether.  On  the  con- 
trary, as  soon  as  we  stopped  they  stojoped  also ;  and 
wdien  we  returned  towards  the  fire  to  exchange  our 
brands  for  others,  they  followed  us  up,  and  came  as 
close  as  ever.  They  grew  even  more  furious  and 
noisy,  —  for  the  fact  that  we  had  not  injured  any  of 
them  taught  them  to  look  upon  our  firebrands  as  harm- 
less weapons,  and  no  longer  to  be  dreaded. 

We  repeated  the  manoeuvre  more  than  once ;  but  it 
soon  ceased  to  inspire  them  with  fear ;  and  we  had  to 
wave  the  torches  before  their  very  snouts  before  we 
could  cause  them  to  turn  tail  and  run  from  us. 

"  This  way  won't  do,  Will'm,"  said  my  companion, 
in  a  voice  that  told  his  alarm  ;  "  they  won't  be  run  off, 
lad !  I  '11  try  'em  Avith  a  shot  from  the  old  piece,  — 
maybe  that  '11  send  'em  a  bit." 

The  "  Queen  Anne  "  was  loaded,  as  usual,  with  small 
shot ;  and  we  had  thought  of  firing  at  them  when  they 
first  came  up ;  but  we  knew  that  the  small  shot  would 


HAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  177 

only  sting  them,  without  doing  any  real  injury,  and,  con- 
sequently, render  them  moi-e  furious  and  implacable. 
"VVe  had  therefore  abstained  from  firing  the  gun,  until 
Ave  should  try  the  effect  of  the  fire-brands. 

Now,  however,  Ben  was  detei-mined  that  at  least 
one  of  them  should  pay  the  forfeit ;  and  I  saw  him 
pushing  the  ramrod  into  the  gun, — just  as  he  had  done 
when  loading  for  the  lion. 

In  a  few  seconds  he  had  got  ready  ;  and  then,  step- 
ping forward  till  he  stood  near  the  line  of  the  threat- 
ening mandrils,  he  pointed  the  piece  at  one  of  the 
largest  and  fired. 

A  scream  of  pain  announced  that  he  had  aimed 
well ;  and  the  great  brute  was  seen  sprawling  over  the 
ground,  and  struggling  in  the  agonies  of  death,  —  while 
a  crowd  of  its  companions,  rushing  from  all  sides, 
gathered  around  it.  At  the  same  instant  I  had  fired 
the  pistol,  and  wounded  another  of  them,  which  also 
became  the  centre  of  a  sympathizing  group. 

Ben  and  I,  after  firing,  ran  back  to  the  fire.  It  was 
impossible  to  reload  the  gun,  —  since  the  ramrod  was 
now  sticking  in  the  body  of  the  baboon,  —  but,  even 
had  we  been  in  possession  of  a  dozen  ramrods,  wo 
should  not  have  found  time  to  use  them.  The  effect 
of  our  shots,  fatal  as  they  had  been,  was  the  very  re- 
verse of  what  might  have  been  anticipated.  Instead 
of  intimidating  our  assailants,  it  had  only  increased 
their  courage ;  and  now,  forsaking  their  fallen  com- 
rades, they  returned  to  the  attack  with  redoubled  rage, 
and  with  evident  determination  to  close  with  us  without 
more  ado. 


178  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

We  saw  that  the  crisis  had  come  ;  I  had  seized  one 
of  the  hirgest  of  the  fire-bi-ands,  and  my  companion 
held  the  musket  clubbed  and  ready  to  deal  blows 
around  •  him.  But  what  would  these  have  availed 
against  such  numbers  ?  We  should  soon  be  overpow- 
ered, and  dragged  down,  —  never  more  to  regain  our 
feet,  —  but  to  be  torn  to  fragments  by  those  terrible 
teeth,  gnashing  and  threatening  all  around  us. 

And  this  would  most  certainly  have  been  our  fate, 
had  not  that  moment  offered  a  means  of  escape  from 
our  perilous  position. 

A  means  did  offer  itself,  and  it  was  odd  we  had  not 
thought  of  it  before. 

Just  as  we  were  at  the  height  of  despair,  —  expecting 
every  moment  to  be  our  last,  —  our  eyes  chanced  to 
turn  on  the  dark  doorway  that  opened  into  the  side  of 
the  tree,  —  the  entrance  to  the  chamber  of  the  dead. 
It  was  still  open,  —  for  we  had  not  returned  the  bark 
slab  to  its  place,  and  it  was  lying,  where  we  had  throwTi 
it,  on  the  ground  outside.  Both  of  us  noticed  the  door- 
way at  the  same  instant,  and  simultaneously  recognized 
in  it  a  means  of  escape,  —  for  both  shouted  as  with 
one  voice  and  rushed  towards  it  together. 

Narrow  as  was  the  entrance,  we  passed  quickly 
through.  A  rabbit  could  scarce  have  glided  more 
rapidly  into  its  burrow ;  and  before  any  of  the  pur- 
suing mandrils  could  lay  a  tooth  upon  our  skirts,  we 
had  got  inside,  and  were  once  more  in  the  company 
of  the  skeletons. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  179 


CHAPTER     XXX. 


Do  not  suppose  that  we  considered  ourselves  safe. 
We  were  simply  safe  for  the  moment,  —  as  our  dis- 
appearance into  the  hollow  of  the  tree,  being  sudden 
and  unexpected,  had  taken  the  mandrils  by  surprise, 
and  they  had  not  followed  us  inside.  Nevertheless, 
they  had  rushed  after,  —  the  whole  troop  of  them  at 
our  heels,  —  and,  from  their  demonstrations,  it  was 
evident  they  would  not  delay  long  before  jumping 
through  the  doorway,  and  assailing  us  within  the  cham- 
ber. They  were  already  close  to  the  entrance,  and 
with  loud  gibbering  menaced  us  from  the  outside. 
Another  moment,  and  we  might  exjDcct  them  to  charge 
in  upon  us. 

The  entrance  was  yet  open,  —  the  slab  lay  outside, 
and  we  dared  not  go  back  for  it,  —  we  had  nothing  to 
use  for  a  door,  —  nothing  by  which  we  could  shut  the 
brutes  out ;  and  all  we  could  think  of  was  to  stand  by 
the  entrance  and.  defend  it  as  we  best  might,  —  Ben 
with  tlie  long  musket,  and  T  with  a  brand,  which  I 
still  clutched,  but  which  no  longer  blazed,  and  could 
only  be  used  as  a  bludgeon.  Should  these  weapons 
fail,  we  would  have  to  take  to  our  knives,  and  make 
the  best  fight  we  could ;  but  we  knew  that  if  the  ba- 


180  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

boons  once  got  inside,  so  as  to  surround  us,  -we  should 
not  have  long  to  live. 

The  screaming  brutes  had  all  come  up,  and  we  could 
see  them  plainly  under  the  blaze  of  the  fagots.  They 
covered  the  whole  space  between  the  trunk  of  the  tree 
and  the  fire  ;  and,  as  near  as  we  could  estimate  their 
number,  there  were  about  threescore  of  them.  They 
danced  madly  about,  uttering  loud  wails,  —  as  if  la- 
menting their  fallen  comrades,  —  and  then  breaking 
out  into  more  clamorous  cries,  that  expressed  rage 
and  the  desire  for  vengeance.  Tliey  had  not  yet 
made  their  rush  for  the  entrance  ;  but  there  was  a 
large  crowd  of  them  standing,  or  rather  leaping  about 
in  front  of  it,  that  seemingly  only  waited  for  some  sig- 
nal to  spring  forward. 

We  stood  in  anxious  expectation,  —  holding  our 
weapons  ready  to  dash  them  back.  "We  knew  we 
could  do  notliing  more  than  "job"  them:  and  we  were 
apprehensive  about  the  result.  Despite  all  our  efforts, 
some  of  them  might  get  past  us  ;  and  then  we  should 
be  assailed  in  the  rear,  and  of  course  vanquished  and 
destroyed. 

"  If  we  could  only  get  at  the  door  ?  "  said  I,  looking 
towards  the  slab,  which  could  be  seen  where  it  lay  out- 
side. 

"  'T  a'n't  possible,"  answered  Ben,  "  the  filthy  beasts 
are  all  round  it,  —  they  'd  pull  us  to  pieces  if  we  only 
showed  nose  outside.  Dash  my  buttons,  Will!  if  I 
han't  got  a  plan,  —  we  '11  do  without  the  door,  —  you 
keep  'em  back  while  I  stop  the  gap.  Here,  take  the 
gun,  —  it 's  better  'n  that  stick,  —  look  sharp,  lad  !  — 
knock  'em  back,  —  that 's  the  way  ! " 


EAX   A"SVAY   TO    SEA.  181 

And  in  this  manner  Ben  continued  to  direct  me,  long 
after  he  had  delivered  the  musket  into  my  hands.  I 
noticed  that  he  had  glided  beliind  me,  but  for  what  pur- 
pose I  could  not  guess ;  but,  indeed,  I  had  no  time  for 
guessing,  as  the  baboons  Avei'e  now  beyond  all  doubt 
resolved  to  force  an  entrance,  and  it  required  all  my 
strength  and  activity  to  keep  them  back  with  the  muz- 
zle of  the  piece.  One  after  another  sprang  up  on  the 
step  of  the  narrow  doorway,  and  one  after  another  was 
sent  rolling  back  again,  by  blows  that  I  gave  with  all 
the  force  I  could  put  into  my  arms  ;  and  these  blows  I 
was  compelled  to  repeat  as  rapidly  as  the  strokes  of  a 
blacksmith's  hammer  in  the  shoeing  of  a  horse. 

I  could  not  have  continued  the  exercise  long.  I 
should  soon  have  been  tired  down  at  it ;  and  then  the 
implacable  crowd  would  have  rushed  in  ;  but  it  was  not 
necessary  for  me  to  work  very  long,  —  for  just  then,  I 
felt  my  companion  pressing  past  me  towards  the  en- 
trance, which  the  next  moment  became  darkened  up. 
Only  through  some  chinks,  could  I  distinguish  the  blaze 
beyond,  and  only  thi'ough  these  was  the  light  admitted 
into  the  chamber ! 

What  had  caused  the  interruption  ?  "Wliat  was  it 
that  was  stopping  up  the  entrance  ?  was  it  the  body  of 
my  companion,  who  was  thus  exposing  himself  to  the 
assaults  of  the  infuriated  crowd  without  ? 

Not  a  bit  of  it.  Ben  Brace  knew  better  than  to  sac- 
rifice his  life  in  that  idle  way ;  and,  on  stretching  for- 
ward my  hand,  and  touching  the  dark  mass  tliat  was 
now  interposed  Ix-twecn  us  and  the  danger,  I  perceived 
what  it  was.     It  was  one  of  the  malefactors ! 

16 


182  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Neither  more  nor  less  was  it  than  one  of  the  mum- 
mies, which  Ben  had  seized  hold  of,  and,  after  douI:)ling 
it  up,  had  crammed  chuck  into  the  entrance,  which  it 
ncai'lj  filled  from  bottom  to  top. 

Tlie  barricade  was  not  yet  complete ;  and  my  com- 
panion after  directing  me  to  hold  it  in  j)lace,  glided  back 
to  procure  another  of  the  same.  This  he  soon  brought 
forward,  and  after  doubling  it  up  as  he  had  done  the 
first,  and  bundling  it  into  the  proper  size  and  shape, — 
t'egardless  of  the  snapping  of  bones  and  the  crackling  of 
joints,  —  he  pushed  it  in  alongside  the  other,  until  the 
two  wedged  each  other,  and  completely  shut  up  the 
doorway ! 

Such  a  scene  might  have  been  comic  enough,  —  not- 
withstanding the  sacred  character  of  the  place,  —  but 
neither  my  companion  nor  I  were  in  any  humor  for 
comedy.  Matters  were  still  too  serious  ;  and  although 
the  idea  of  this  skeleton-barricade  was  a  good  one,  we 
Avere  not  yet  assured  of  safety.  It  might  only  give  us 
a  temporary  respite ;  for  we  feared  that  our  ferocious 
assailants  Avould  attack  the  mummies  with  their  teeth, 
and  soon  demolish  the  barrier  that  lay  between  us. 

And  this  they  certainly  would  have  done,  but  for  a 
contrivance  which  occurred  to  us  ;  and  that  was  to  leave 
two  small  apertures  through  which  we  could  still  "  job  " 
them,  and  keep  them  off.  Two  chinks  were  found  be- 
tween the  bodies  of  the  malefactors,  and  these  were 
soon  worked  to  the  proper  size,  —  so  that  the  musket 
could  be  protruded  thi-ough  one,  and  the  stick  through 
the  other,  —  and  by  keeping  these  weapons  in  constant 
play  we  were  able  to  push  back  the  brutes,  whenever 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  183 

they  approached  near  enough  to  seize  hold  of  our  skel- 
eton barricade. 

Fortunately  the  doorway  sloped  out  from  the  cham- 
ber, —  after  the  manner  of  an  embrasure  in  a  fortress, 
• —  and  on  this  account  the  bodies  were  wedged  tightly 
against  the  cheeks  on  both  sides  ;  so  that  although  it 
would  have  been  easy  to  remove  them  from  the  inside, 
it  would  have  required  a  strong  pull  to  have  di-awn 
them  outward.  So  long,  therefore,  as  we  could  prevent 
the  mandrils  from  tearing  them  to  pieces,  we  should 
be  safe  enough. 

For  more  than  an  hour  we  were  kept  at  constant 
w^ork,  shoving  our  weapons  backward  and  forward  like 
a  pair  of  sawyers.  At  length,  however,  the  assaults  of 
the  enemy  outside  became  feebler,  and  more  desultory. 
They  began  to  perceive  that  they  could  not  effect  an 
entrance,  and  as  most  of  them  had  by  this  time  received 
a  good  punch  in  the  head,  or  between  the  ribs,  they 
were  not  so  eager  to  try  it  again. 

But  although  they  at  length  desisted  from  their  at- 
tempts to  break  in  upon  its,  we  could  still  hear  them  as 
before.  We  could  no  longer  see  them,  —  for  the  fire 
had  gone  out,  and  all  was  darkness,  both  outside  and 
within. 

Not  a  ray  of  light  reached  us  from  any  quarter  ;  and 
we  passed  the  night  in  the  midst  of  perfect  darkness 
and  gloom. 

But  not  in  silence :  all  night  long  the  troop  kept  up 
its  chorus  of  screams  and  bowlings  and  Availings ;  and 
although  we  listened  attentively  in  the  hoi)es  that  we 
might  hear  some  signs  of  departure,  our  ears  were  not 
gratified  by  any  such  sounds. 


184  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

It  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  unpleasant  nights 
that  either  my  companion  or  I  had  ever  passed.  I 
need  not  say  that  neither  of  us  slept,  we  had  not  a  wink 
of  sleep  throughout  the  livelong  night ;  nor  would  it 
have  been  possible  for  Morpheus  himself  to  have  slept 
under  the  circumstances.  We  had  heard  of  the  im- 
placable disposition  which  not  only  the  mandrils,  but 
other  baboon-monkeys,  exhibit  when  they  have  been 
assailed  by  an  enemy ;  Ave  had  heard  that  their  resent- 
ment, once  kindled,  cannot  be  again  allayed  until  the 
object  of  it  either  becomes  their  victim,  or  else  escapes 
altogether  beyond  their  reach.  With  the  monkey  tribe 
it  is  not  as  with  lions,  buffixloes,  rhinoceroses,  or  other 
dangerous  beasts  that  may  be  encountered  in  the  forests 
of  Africa.  When  the  enemy  is  out  of  sight,  all  these 
animals  seem  to  forget  the  assault  that  may  have  been 
made  upon  them,  or,  at  all  events,  soon  give  over  their 
hostile  intentions.  Not  so  with  the  baboons.  These 
monstrous  creatures  possess  an  intelligence  far  superior 
to  that  of  ordinary  quadrupeds.  In  fact,  they  are 
capable  of  a  certain  amount  of  reasoning  power,  which, 
although  far  inferior  in  degree  to  that  of  the  human 
species,  is  nevertheless  of  precisely  the  same  character. 

There  are  some  people  who  think  it  savoring  of 
profanity  to  make  an  assertion  of  this  kind  ;  but  these 
are  people  of  very  weak  minds,  who  are  afraid  to  look 
philosophy  in  the  face,  lest  it  should  contradict  some 
favorite  dogma,  in  which  they  have  long  been  accus- 
tomed to  put  faith.  Such  people  will  boldly  give  denial 
to  the  most  positive  facts,  that  may  be  observed  both 
in  the  geological  and   zoological  world ;  and  do   not 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  185 

scruple  to  give  hard  names  to  those  who  have  the  cau- 
tlor  to  ackiiowletlge  these  facts.  It  is  absurd  to  deny 
that  monkeys  are  possessed  of  reasoning  powers  ;  no 
man  could  stand  five  minutes  in  front  of  a  monkey's 
cage  in  any  of  our  great  zoological  gardens,  without 
being  convinced  of  this  fact. 

With  the  baboons  the  reasoning  faculty  is  not  so 
strongly  developed  as  it  is  in  some  other  species 
of  the  ape  tribe,  as  the  great  ourang  and  the  chim- 
panzee ;  but  for  all  that,  Ben  Brace  and  I  knew  it 
was  strong  enough  to  enable  them  fully  to  understand 
the  situation  in  which  we  were  placed,  and  to  know 
that  we  could  not  possibly  escape  from  our  tree-prison 
without  passing  before  their  eyes.  We  knew,  too,  that 
their  passions  were  still  stronger  than  their  reasoning 
powers  ;  that  after  such  offence  as  we  had  given  them, 
by  killing  one  of  their  number,  —  perhaps  a  A'enerated 
leader  of  the  tribe,  —  wounding  another,  and  adminis- 
tering violent  "  punches  "  to  nearly  eveiy  individual  in 
the  gang,  there  was  not  the  slightest  probability  that 
they  would  suffer  us  to  escape  without  first  trying  the 
effect  of  a  long  siege  upon  us. 

If  this  was  to  be  the  case,  we  could  have  no  hope 
of  escape.  The  mandrils  might  remain  upon  the 
ground  as  long  as  they  pleased.  Some  might  go  off 
to  obtain  food  and  drink,  while  the  others  watched  ; 
and  thus  they  could  relieve  one  another.  For  that 
matter,  drink  was  to  be  had  near  at  hand,  —  at  the 
fine  s})ring  where  we  had  eaten  our  supper,  —  thougli, 
for  any  good  it  could  do  us,  it  might  as  well  have  been 
fifty  miles  off.  Food,  too,  the  monkeys  could  easily 
16* 


186  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

procure  in  the  woods  close  by  the  base  of  the  hill,  or 
they  might  sustain  themselves  on  the  large  fi-uit  of  the 
baobab,  which  was  their  favorite  and  peculiar  food,  and 
on  this  account  called  the  monkey's-bread-fruit.  In 
fact,  my  companion  and  I  now  suspected  that  the  great 
tree  was  their  habitual  place  of  resort,  —  their  roost  or 
dwelling-place,  —  and  that  they  had  been  just  on  their 
way  home,  from  their  day's  rambling  in  the  woods, 
when  they  first  came  upon  us.  This  would  account  for 
the  fierce  and  unprovoked  attack  which  they  had  at 
once  made  upon  our  camp. 

Under  all  these  considerations,  then,  it  was  no  won- 
der that  neither  of  us  thought  of  going  to  sleep,  but  on 
the  contrary  sat  up  throughout  the  whole  night,  kept 
awake  by  a  full  apprehension  of  our  peril.  We  had 
hojDes  —  though  we  were  far  from  being  sanguine  about 
it  —  that,  as  soon  as  day  broke,  our  besiegers  might  be 
tempted  into  their  habitual  routine,  and  might  go  off 
into  the  woods. 

Alas !  when  morning  came,  we  saw  to  our  dismay 
that  they  had  no  such  design ;  from  their  cries  and 
gestures  we  were  satisfied  that  the  siege  was  to  be 
sustained.  They  were  all  there,  —  all  that  we  had 
seen  upon  the  preceding  night,  —  and  it  appeared  as  if 
there  were  many  more.  No  doubt  others  had  joined 
them  from  the  woods  ;  for  there  were  not  less  than  a 
hundred  of  them.  The  hideous  brutes  appeared  all 
around,  —  some  squatted  on  the  ground,  some  up  in  the 
branches  of  the  baobab,  —  and  in  the  midst  of  a  chat- 
tering group  Ave  could  see  the  carcass  of  the  one  that 
had  been  killed,  while  close  by  was  the  wounded  indi- 
vidual, also  surrounded  by  sympathizing  friends. 


KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  ]  87 

NoAv  and  again,  a  band  would  collect  together ;  and, 
apparently  inspired  by  a  fresh  burst  of  rage,  would 
crowd  up  to  the  entrance  of  our  asylum,  and  renew 
ilieir  attack  upon  the  bai'ricade.  "We,  as  before,  would 
I'epel  tliem,  until  they  perceived  that  their  attempts 
were  futile,  and  then  they  would  desist,  and  retire,  until 
f  omething  arising  among  themselves  seemed  to  instigate 
^hem  to  a  renewed  assault. 

Tliis  was  their  conduct  throughout  the  whole  of  that 
day,  and  during  all  the  time  were  we  kept  shut  up  in 
our  gloomy  cell.  "\Ye  had  strengthened  our  barricade 
—  by  materials  obtained  from  the  third  malefactor  — 
and  so  far  felt  safe  enough  ;  but  we  now  began  to  have 
fears  of  another  enemy,  —  one  that  was  as  terrible  in  its 
attack,  and  as  powerful  to  destroy,  as  either  the  man- 
drils or  the  strong  lion  himself.  That  enemy  was  not 
new  to  us  ;  we  had  already  had  an  encounter  with  it ; 
we  had  met  it  among  the  branches  of  the  dragon-tree, 
and  we  were  now  to  meet  it  again  inside  the  trunk  of 
the  baobab.     It  was  thirst. 

Yes,  we  already  experienced  its  painful  sensation. 
Every  moment  it  Avas  gaining  ground  upon  us,  and  its 
pangs  becoming  keener  and  harder  to  endure.  Should 
the  siege  continue  much  longer,  we  knew  not  how  we 
could  endure  it. 

Should  the  siege  continue  ?  It  did  continue  through- 
out all  that  day,  the  fierce  brutes  remained  by  the  tree 
throughout  all  the  following  night ;  and  when  the  sec- 
ond morning  dawned,  we  saw  them  around  as  numerous 
as  ever,  and  apparently  as  implacable  and  determined 
on  vengeance  as  they  had  been  at  their  first  onset. 


188  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

AYhat  Avere  we  to  do  ?  Without  rest,  without  lileop, 
■without  food,  but  worst  of  all,  witliout  water,  Ave  could 
exist  no  longer.  To  go  out  was  to  be  destroyed,  —  torn 
to  atoms,  —  devoured ;  to  stay  where  Ave  were  was  to 
die  of  thirst,  —  a  more  lingering  and  painful  death ! 
What  Avere  we  to  do  ? 

We  Avere  in  deep  despair,  —  Ave  had  almost  yielded 
UY)  the  hope  of  being  saved,  —  not  almost,  but  altogether. 

We  could  have  had  no  hope,  except  that  our  assail- 
ants might  become  tired  of  the  protracted  siege  and 
leaA^e  us.  But,  as  already  observed,  these  creatures 
possess  intelligence  that  resembles  that  of  human  be- 
ings. They  perfectly  comprehended  our  situation,  and, 
knoAving  it,  Avere  not  likely  to  give  us  any  chance  of 
escape  ;  there  Avas  no  hope. 

In  this  belief  had  Ave  continued  for  some  time,  sitting 
side  by  side  in  a  state  of  extreme  dejection.  Neither 
of  us  said  a  Avord.  We  had  nothing  to  say,  —  no  coun- 
sel to  offer  to  teach  each  other. 

We  had  several  times  talked  over  the  possibility  of 
fighting  our  Avay  through  the  host  of  mandrils,  and  es- 
caping by  sAviftness  of  foot.  We  knew  that,  once  in 
the  open  ground,  Ave  could  run  fsaster  than  they ;  for  al- 
though the  baboons  run  well  through  thickets  and  Avoods, 
—  where  they  occasionally  help  themselves  forAvard  by 
grasping  the  boughs  of  the  trees,  —  and  although  upon 
open  ground  they  progress  faster  than  many  other  kinds 
of  monkeys,  yet  a  man  can  outrun  them. 

This  Ave  kneAv,  and  Avere  noAV  A'ery  regretful  that  we 
liad  not  made  a  burst  through  their  line,  and  gone  off 
at  first,  as  Ave  should  have  done.    AfterAvards  it  became 


RAX   ATVAY   TO    SEA.  189 

more  difficult  to  do  so,  as  the  crowd  got  greater,  and 
hemmed  us  in  more  closely,  and  we  had  looked  upon 
it  as  altogether  impossible.  Now,  however,  that  the 
terrible  thirst  was  impelling  us,  we  had  almost  made 
up  our  minds  to  issue  forth,  and  run  the  gantlet.  Ben 
argued  that  it  would  be  better  to  do  so  than  perish 
by  inches  in  that  dark  cavern ;  and  I  was  in  the  mind 
to  agree  with  him.  We  would  be  certain  to  have  a 
terrible  struggle,  and  be  badly  torn ;  in  all  probability 
one  or  both  of  us  would  fall ;  but  the  prospect  appeared 
the  less  dreadful  on  account  of  the  suffering  we  endured 
from  thirst.  I  may  add,  that  we  were  hungry  as  well ; 
but  this  was  but  a  secondary  consideration  when  com- 
pared with  the  pangs  of  the  sister  appetite. 

Another  cause  of  uneasiness  now  presented  itself. 
The  baboons,  apparently  becoming  impatient  at  wait- 
ing so  long  for  their  vengeance,  seemed  to  have  been 
forming  plans  of  their  own,  and  began  to  make  fresh 
attempts  upon  the  skeleton  barricade.  In  twos  and 
threes  they  attacked  it  with  their  teeth ;  and  at  each 
assault  portions  of  the  dry  skin  and  bones  of  the  mum- 
mies were  carried  off.  It  was  plain  that,  if  this  should 
continue  much  longer,  the  whole  three  malefactors 
would  be  demolished,  and  we  could  no  longer  defend 
the  entrance.  Of  course  after  that  there  could  be  but 
one  result,  —  our  destruction. 

More  than  ever  did  we  give  way  to  despair;  and, 
hardly  deeming  it  worth  while  to  exert  ourselves,  we 
remained  passively  awaiting  the  crisis. 

All  of  a  sudden  I  perceived  my  companion  rouse 
himself  from  his  despondent  attitude,  and  commence 


190  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

fumbling  about  over  the  floor.  "What  could  he  be  after  ? 
I  put  the  question. 

"  I  've  got  an  idea,  Will ! "  was  his  reply ;  "  shiver  my 
timbers  ! "  continued  he,  "  if  I  don't  believe  I  can  scat- 
ter them  ajies  to  the  four  points  o'  the  compass." 

"How?"  I  eagerly  inquired. 

"  You  '11  see,  lad !  where  be  the  skin  o'  the  lion  ?  " 

"  I  'm  sitting  upon  it,"  said  I,  "  do  you  want  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  —  quick  !  give  it  me.  Will !  " 

It  was  by  a  mere  chance  that  the  hon's  hide  had  been 
brought  inside  the  chamber.  We  had  not  used  it  as  a 
cover,  on  account  of  its  being  still  raw,  and,  previ- 
ous to  the  appearance  of  the  baboons,  it  had  been  rolled 
up,  and  laid  in  the  entrance  of  the  tree-cave  as  the  fit- 
test place  that  offered.  In  rushing  inside,  it  had  been 
kicked  before  us ;  and  thus  it  was  that  we  happened  to 
be  in  possession  of  it. 

Without  losing  a  second  of  time,  I  pulled  it  from 
under  me,  and  handed  it  to  my  companion.  I  already 
suspected  the  use  he  intended  to  make  of  it ;  and  with- 
out further  explanation,  I  went  to  work  to  assist  him  hx 
his  design. 

In  ten  minutes  after,  the  body  of  Ben  Brace  was 
completely  enveloped  in  the  skin  of  the  lion ;  which 
was  tied  and  corded  around  him  in  such  a  manner,  that 
it  would  have  required  sharper  eyes  than  those  of  a 
baboon  to  have  discovered  the  counterfeit. 

His  design  was  to  sally  forth  in  this  disguise  and 
show  himself  to  the  baboons,  with  the  hope  that  the 
appeai'ance  of  their  kiiiff  might  terrify  them  into  flight. 
If  it  did  not  produce  this  eflfect,  Ben  reasoned,  that  we 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  191 

could  be  no  worse  off  than  ever,  as  he  could  retreat 
back  into  the  cave  and  we  could  barricade  it  as  before. 

Thei'e  was  certainly  some  probability  that  the  plan 
might  succeed.  We  knew  that  nearly  all  animals  have 
a  great  dread  of  the  lion,  and  that  the  baboons  are  no 
exception  to  the  rule.  Often  the  very  sight  of  the 
forest-monarch  will  terrify  other  wild  beasts  to  such  an 
extent  that  they  will  run  before  him  as  from  the  pres- 
ence of  a  human  being.  The  ingenious  plan,  there- 
fore, of  counterfeiting  the  lion,  which  my  companion 
had  conceived,  was  not  without  good  probability  of 
success ;  and  we  were  both  cheered  by  the  prospect. 

To  make  sure  that  failure  should  not  arise  from  haste 
or  carelessness  in  the  preparations,  we  proceeded  with 
due  care  and  caution,  and  took  plenty  of  time  to  get 
everything  complete.  "We  sheathed  Ben's  arms  in  the 
skin  that  had  covered  the  fore-limbs  of  the  lion,  stretch- 
ing it  out  till  the  paws  concealed  his  knuckles.  His 
legs  were  wrapt  in  the  hide  that  had  enveloped  the  pos- 
terior limbs  of  the  great  beast ;  and  we  had  a  good  deal 
of  trouble  before  the  "  pantaloos  "  could  be  made  to  fit. 
The  head  was  easily  adapted  to  the  cro^vn  of  the  sailor ; 
and  the  ample  skin  of  the  body  met  in  front,  and  was 
there  fastened  by  strings.  Fortunately  we  had  plenty 
of  cord.  That  fine  piece,  that  had  already  done  such 
good  service,  was  still  in  our  possession,  and  we  again 
made  use  of  it  to  advantage. 

At  length  the  masquerading  costume  was  deemed 
complete,  and  the  lion  was  ready  to  play  his  part. 

We  were  cautious,  too,  about  the  disposal  of  tho 
mummies,  so  that,  in  case  of  need,  they  might  serve  us 


192  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

a<Tain ;  and,  -wlion  all  was  arranged  to  our  satisfaction, 
Ave  i^ulled  them  back  out  of  the  entrance. 

Our  manoeuvres  had  now  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  besiegers,  —  who  showed  by  their  cries  and  move- 
ments that  they  were  upon  the  alert. 

Just  at  this  crisis  the  lion  sallied  forth ;  and  if  ever 
there  was  a  helter-skelter  among  a  troop  of  monkeys 
worth  witnessing,  my  companion  and  I  saw  it  at  that 
moment.  There  was  screaming  and  yelling,  and  gab- 
bering  and  gibbering,  and  a  rushing  in  every  direction 
—  except  that  which  would  have  conducted  towards  the 
counterfeit  lion,  —  which  beast  was  all  the  while  mak- 
ing the  most  violent  demonstrations,  and  uttering  loud 
noises,  that  in  deepness  of  barytone  almost  equalled  the 
roar  of  the  forest-monarch  himself ! 

Wliat  became  of  the  baboons  we  could  not  tell, — 
they  seemed  to  vanish  into  the  earth,  or  the  air :  at  all 
events,  in  less  than  two  minutes  from  the  time  the  lion 
made  his  appearance  outside  the  baobab,  not  one  of 
them  was  to  be  seen  ;  and  the  tawny  quadruped,  all  at 
once  ceasing  to  roar  like  a  lion,  could  be  heard  emitting 
from  his  fierce  jaws  loud  yells  of  human  laughter ! 

We  stayed  not  much  longer  under  the  shadow  of  the 
baobab.  It  was  dangerous  ground.  The  mandrils  might 
discover  the  cheat  and  come  back ;  so,  with  this  apprehen- 
sion in  our  thoughts,  we  took  a  hasty  leave  of  our  aged 
friends  the  mummies,  and  hurried  rapidly  down  the  hill. 
We  halted  only  to  drink,  and  then  pushed  onward. 

It  was  near  noon  of  the  third  day  from  the  time  of 
our  starting  on  our  expedition,  before  we  astonished  by 
our  reappearance  the  crew  of  the  Pandora. 


EAN   AAVAT   TO    SEA.  193 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 


The  Pandora  was  no-w  rapidly  made  ready  for  her 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  The  carpenter  had  finished 
his  bullvlieads  and  hatch-gratings,  and  the  men  were 
daily  engaged  in  emjitying  the  salt  water  out  of  the 
casks  and  refilling  them  with  fresh,  —  a  somewhat  slow 
and  troublesome  job. 

While  these  preparations  were  going  on,  a  messenger 
arrived  at  the  factory  of  King  Dingo  Bingo,  who  brought 
with  him  a  report  that  put  his  majesty  into  the  most 
terrible  state  of  uneasiness  and  alarm,  and  also  produced 
a  very  similar  effect  upon  the  skipper  of  the  Pandora. 

The  messenger,  or  messengers,  —  for  there  were 
three  of  them,  —  were  negi'oes,  of  course.  They  were 
of  the  kind  known  as  Kroomen ;  that  is,  a  class  of 
negroes  found  along  most  parts  of  the  western  coast  of 
Africa,  who  are  greatly  addicted  to  the  sea,  and  make 
excellent  sailors  when  so  employed.  They  are,  in  fact, 
the  "  boatmen "  of  the  African  coast,  or  "  watermen," 
if  you  prefer  it,  but  not  unfrequently  they  ship  for  a 
long  voyage ;  and  many  vessels  in  the  African  trade 
are  accustomed,  when  short  of  hands,  to  make  up  their 
ci'ew  from  among  these  Kroomen. 

Three  of  these  Ki-oomen,  then,  had  suddenly  made 


194  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

their  appearance  in  the  river,  with  the  report  that 
spread  consternation  among  the  people  of  King  Dingo 
Bingo  and  those  of  the  Pandora. 

Wliat  was  this  report  ? 

It  was  that  a  British  cruiser  had  called  in  at  a  station 
some  fifty  miles  farther  up  the  coast,  and  reported  that 
she  had  been  in  chase  of  a  large  slave-barque,  —  that 
she  had  lost  sight  of  the  latter  out  at  sea,  but  was  still 
in  search  of  her,  and  expected  to  find  her  to  the  south, 

—  that  the  cruiser  only  stopped  at  the  above-mentioned 
port  to  take  in  water,  and,  as  soon  as  that  was  accom- 
plished, she  would  come  down  the  coast  and  search 
every  nook  and  inlet  to  find  the  slaver. 

Most  of  this  information  had  been  given  confidentially 
to  the  chief  factor  at  the  port,  an  Englishman,  whose 
business  lay  in  palm-oil,  gromid-nuts,  ivory,  and  other 
African  products,  and  who  was  not  supjDosed  to  have 
any  connection  whatever  with  the  slave-trade.  On  the 
contrary,  he  was  one  of  those  who  lent  his  aid  to  its 
suppression ;  giving  every  assistance  to  the  slave- 
cruisers,  and  being  on  terms  of  friendship  and  intimacy 
with  their  commanders. 

But  for  all  that,  this  comfortable  John  Bull  was 
suspected  —  not  by  the  aforesaid  commanders,  hoAvever 

—  of  having  very  amicable  relations  with  his  majesty 
King  Dingo  Bingo,  —  so  amicable  that  there  were  those 
who  hinted  at  a  sort  of  partnership  existing  between 
them ! 

Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that  the  Englishman 
had  sent  the  three  Kji'oomen  to  "VAarn  King  Dingo  Bingo 
of  his  danger,  —  for  there  was  no  secret  made  of  this 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  195 

fact  on  board  the  Pandora.  The  Ivroomen  had  ven- 
tured round  the  coast  in  a  small  sail-boat,  and  entered 
by  the  mouth  of  the  river,  having  perfonned  most  part 
of  the  dangerous  voyage  in  the  night. 

Their  report,  as  I  have  said,  produced  consternation 
on  all  hands.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  cruiser 
was  the  cutter  that  had  chased  us  ;  and  knowing  that 
the  slaver  had  gone  southward  after  giving  her  the 
slip,  she  would  take  that  direction  to  look  out  for  her, 
and  would  be  certain  to  explore  every  inch  of  the  coast 
in  her  cruise.  Of  course  the  river  would  not  be  likely 
to  escape  her  observation,  and  if  she  should  there  find 
the  Pandora,  it  would  be  all  up  with  the  slaver. 
Probably  enough,  the  cruiser  may  have  picked  up  a 
pilot,  Avho  knew  all  about  King  Dingo  Bingo  and  his 
slave-factory.  If  so,  it  would  not  be  long  before  she 
would  be  down  upon  us.  She  might  be  looked  for 
every  minute ! 

No  wonder,  then,  that  the  report  of  the  Kroomen 
carried  consternation  with  it. 

As  for  the  "  king,"  he  was  far  less  temfied  than  the 
"captain."  His  villanous  majesty  had  far  less  to  fear 
from  a  \'isit  of  the  cruiser.  He  had  already  made  his 
bargain ;  and  although  the  slaves  were  still  in  the 
barracoon,  they  were  no  longer  his,  and  it  mattered  not 
to  him  into  whose  hands  they  fell.  He  had  received 
his  full  pay  for  them,  in  the  rum,  salt,  and  muskets ; 
these  had  been  landed  and  handed  over,  and  as  soon  as 
he  could  remove  them  beyond  the  reach  of  the  cruiser, 
he  Avould  be  perfectly  safe  and  at  his  ease. 

This  precaution  he  took  as  soon  as  the  Kroomen  had 


196  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

delivered  their  report.  His  followers  were  set  to  work, 
and  in  a  few  hours  every  article  that  had  been  landed 
from  the  barque  was  carried  away  from  the  "  factory  " 
and  hidden  far  off  in  the  woods.  When  the  work  of 
removal  was  over,  his  majesty  lit  his  pipe  and  filled  his 
glass,  and  then  sat  him  down  as  coolly  and  unconcernedly 
as  if  there  was  not  a  cruiser  on  all  the  African  coast. 

Very  different,  however,  was  the  situation  of  the 
captain  of  the  Pandora.  It  is  true,  he  might  also  have 
hidden  part  of  his  property.  He  might  have  run  off 
the  slaves  into  the  woods  and  there  concealed  them  for 
a  time ;  and  it  was  amusing  to  see  with  what  energy 
the  "  king  "  counselled  him  to  this  course.  His  majesty 
saw,  that  if  this  plan  was  adopted,  and  the  cruiser 
should  appear  in  the  river,  then  the  barque  would  be 
taken  and  the  slaves  left  behind,  and  out  of  all  this 
confusion  there  must  be  some  advantage  to  himself; 
there  would  be  a  chance  that  the  five  hundred  "  bultos  " 
Avould  fall  into  his  hands,  and  he  would  be  able  to  sell 
them  a  second  time.  This  was,  indeed,  a  rich  prospect, 
and,  wnthout  hinting  at  any  probable  advantage  to 
himself,  the  old  rascal  kept  urging  the  skipper  to  adopt 
this  plan  with  an  anxiety  and  importunity  that  was 
quite  ludicrous. 

But  the  captain  could  not  be  brought  to  comply  with 
the  advice.  He  knew  the  danger  of  trusting  the  five 
hundred  slaves  off  in  the  woods.  Most  of  them  might 
take  "  leg-bail "  for  it,  and,  maybe,  his  "  dear  friend  " 
Kin":  Dinjjo  Bins^o  might  not  guard  them  from  this  so 
very  carefully !  Some  of  them  might  find  their  way 
to  their  own  homes  again,  but  a  good  many  would  be 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  197 

likely  to  stray  back  to  King  Dingo's  town,  and  it  would 
be  a  hard  matter  to  identity  goods  that  w^ere  so  much 
like  each  other  as  negroes  are. 

Besides,  if  he  could  even  succeed  in  hiding  the  cargo, 
he  could  not  hope  to  hide  the  vessel.  The  cutter,  if 
she  came  near  the  river  at  all,  would  be  certain  to  find 
the  barque,  and  equally  certain  to  capture  her.  That 
done,  what  would  become  of  the  slaves  ?  what  would 
become  of  the  captain  himself,  and  his  crew?  They 
would  have  difficulty  enough  either  to  subsist,  or  find 
their  way  out  of  such  an  inhospitable  land,  —  for  the 
skipper  well  knew  that,  his  fine  vessel  once  gone,  his 
dear  friend  Dingo  would  behave  towards  him  in  quite 
a  different  manner.  Yes ;  the  skipper  w  as  an  expe- 
rienced man,  and  knew  all  that,  and,  knowing  it,  he 
lent  a  deaf  ear  to  the  counsels  of  the  "  king." 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  report  of  the  Kroomen 
reached  him,  —  for  it  did  not  reach  him  until  some  time 
after  his  majesty  had  received  it,  —  he  at  once  formed 
a  resolve  as  to  how  he  should  act,  and  that  resolve  was 
to  embark  his  cargo  as  speedily  as  possible,  and,  with- 
out wasting  a  moment,  stand  out  to  sea. 

This  the  wary  skipper  perceived  to  be  his  best  plan ; 
in  fact,  the  only  one  by  which  he  could  hope  to  save  his 
vessel.  If  the  cruiser  was  actually  coming  down  the 
coast,  —  and  there  could  be  no  doubt  but  that  she  was, 
—  his  only  chance  would  be  to  get  out  before  she  ar- 
rived opposite  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Should  she  once 
come  there  before  he  could  put  to  sea,  then  the  banpie 
would  be  regularly  in  the  tnip,  and  an  armc(l  boat  or 
two  from  the  cutter  would  capture  her  without  any  dif- 
17* 


198  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

ficulty,  indeed,  without  resistance  ;  for  rough  and  liru- 
tal  and  bold  as  were  the  crew  of  the  slaver,  they  knew 
very  well  that  it  would  be  idle  to  resist  the  well-organ- 
ized attack  of  a  ship  of  war,  or  half  a  dozen  armed 
boats,  such  as  the  cutter  could  set  afloat.  The  capture 
of  the  barque  would,  therefore,  be  a  thing  of  course, 
and  the  only  chance  her  owner  had  of  saving  her  would 
be  to  put  to  sea  at  once. 

The  wind  was  light,  —  it  was  blowing  from  the  coast, 
—  both  which  circumstances  were  greatly  in  favor  of 
the  Pandora's  escape.  The  contrary  Avind  would  be 
likely  to  hinder  the  cruiser  from  coming  near,  at  all 
events  it  would  .delay  her,  and  then,  should  the  slaver 
succeed  in  getting  out,  a  light  breeze,  as  already  seen, 
would  be  altogether  in  her  favor,  and  against  her  antag- 
onist. 

Elated  by  these  hopes,  but  still  under  terrible  anxiety, 
the  captain  lost  no  time  in  getting  his  cargo  aboard. 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  199 


CHAPTER    XXXII, 


All  the  slavei''s  boats  were  called  into  requisition, 
and  the  crew  —  every  man  of  them  —  were  as  busy  as 
bees.  Perhaps  Brace  and  myself  were  the  only  ones 
among  them  who  had  no  heart  in  the  work  ;  but  to  keep 
up  appearances,  we  were  compelled  to  labor  as  the  rest. 

The  embarkation  was  easy  enough,  and  the  stowage 
still  more  so.  It  was  a  very  different  affair  from  tak- 
ing on  board  a  cargo  of  lieavy  barrels  and  boxes.  The 
living  "  bales "  moved  of  their  OAvn  accord,  or  were 
forced  to  move,  if  tliey  did  not,  and  there  was  nothing 
furtlier  required  than  to  march  them  from  the  barra- 
coon  to  the  bank,  then  row  them  to  the  vessel,  hurry 
them  over  tlie  side,  and  huddle  them  down  the  hatcli  to 
the  "  'tween-decks  "  below.  The  males  and  females 
were  put  into  different  compartments,  though  this  was 
not  done  out  of  any  regard  to  decency,  but  merely  for 
convenience.  When  "  stowed "  thus  they  would  be 
easier  managed  upon  the  passage,  —  such  was  the 
experience  of  the  slave-traders.  The  bulkhead  that 
separated  them  was  very  sliglit,  and  they  could  com- 
municate through  it  with  each   other. 

With  the  women  were  stowi'd  all  the  j'ounger  slaves, 
both  girls  and  boys,   and   there   were   many  childi'en, 


200  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

poor  little  "  piccaninnies,"  jet-black,  and  naked  as  when 
born.  Indeed,  most  of  the  whole  crowd  were  naked, 
both  men  and  Avomen.  Some  of  the  latter  had  a  simple 
skirt  of  cotton,  or  plaited  palm-leaves,  hanging  around 
them,  and  a  few  of  the  men  had  a  piece  of  coarse  cloth 
about  their  thighs,  but  many  were  without  even  this 
apology  for  a  garment.  Wliatever  they  may  have 
worn  in  their  native  place  had  been  taken  from  them. 
No  doubt  the  followers  of  King  Dingo,  when  making 
them  captives,  had  robbed  them  also  of  their  scant 
wardrobe.  The  men  were  manacled  together  in  twos, 
and  sometimes  three  and  four  in  a  group.  This  was  to 
prevent  any  attempt  at  escape,  and  was  the  work  of  his 
majesty.  Only  a  few  of  the  women  wore  chains  ;  most 
likely  they  wei'e  those  who  possessed  a  stronger  spirit 
than  their  wretched  companions,  and  had  proved  refrac- 
tory on  their  inland  journey,  or  while  kej:)!  in  the  bar- 
racoon.  These  manacles  were  not  removed  by  the 
people  of  the  Pandora,  but  just  as  the  blacks  had  been 
delivered  over,  so  were  they  crowded  aboard,  chains, 
fetters,  and  all. 

King  DiiTgo  Bingo  stood  upon  the  bank  by  the  place 
of  landing  and  watched  the  embarkation,  in  which  bis 
body-guard  assisted.  The  skipper  was  by  his  side,  and 
the  two  held  conversation  just  in  the  same  manner  as  if 
they  superintended  the  lading  of  a  cargo  of  ordinary 
merchandise !  His  majesty  occasionally  pointed  out 
some  one  of  the  slaves,  and  made  his  remarks  upon  the 
qualities  of  the  individual.  He  was  either  a  good 
"  bulto,"  —  valuable  article,  —  or  some  refractory  fellow 
that  the  captain  was  desired  to  watch  well  on  the  voy- 


RAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  201 

age.  Many  of  the  pooi*  victims  were  evidently  avcU 
known  to  this  hideous  monster,  and,  indeed,  as  already 
hinted  at,  some  of  them  were  his  own  subjects  !  King 
Dingo  Bingo  thought  nothing  of  that  so  long  as  he 
could  sell  them  and  get  pay  in  return.  His  relation  to 
his  people  generally  was  that  of  complete  master  and 
owner ;  and  he  felt  towards  them  as  a  farmer  to  his 
hogs,  or  a  grazier  to  his  cattle.  He  and  the  captain 
gayly  chatted  and  joked  and  laughed,  when  any  of  the 
poor  wretches  passed  them  whose  apj^earance  was  cal- 
culated to  excite  ridicule  ;  while  to  me  the  whole  scene 
was  one  of  disgust  and  sorrow,  and  with  sad,  sad  heart 
did  I  assist  in  the  spectacle. 

The  embarkation  was  still  going  on,  and  most  of  the 
unfortunate  creatures  had  been  carried  aboard,  when 
the  boat  of  the  Kroomen  was  observed  coming  rapidly 
up  stream.  These  had  been  sent  down  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river  to  reconnoitre,  and  keep  watch  until  the  slaver 
should  be  ready  for  sea.  In  case  the  cutter  or  any  sail 
should  come  in  sight,  they  had  orders  to  row  back  as 
quickly  as  possible  and  give  the  alarm. 

The  fact  of  their  coming  back  at  all  was  proof  that 
some  sail  had  been  made  out;  and  the  rapidity  with 
which  they  were  plying  their  oars  not  only  confirmed 
this  belief,  but  showed  that  they  had  somethuig  very 
important  to  tell. 

Both  Dingo  Bingo  and  the  skipper  beheld  their  ap- 
proach with  consternation,  Avhich  was  not  allayed  in  the 
least  when  the  Ki-oomen  rowed  alongside  and  delivered 
their  report. 

A  sail  was  in  sight,  sure  enough,  and  not  only  in 


202  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

sight,  but  actually  heading  in  for  the  coast !  The 
Ivroomen  had  no  doubt  about  the  sort  of  craft  it  was. 
They  had  seen  the  cutter  before  setting  out  from  the 
English  factory.     They  had  noted  her  rig.     It  was  she. 

The  captain  at  first  exhibited  some  signs  of  dismay ; 
but  after  looking  uj)  to  the  sky  and  around  to  the  tree- 
tojjs,  to  note  Avhich  way  blew  the  wind,  he  appeared  to 
recover  his  spirits  a  little,  and  ordered  the  embarkation 
to  be  hurried  on. 

Meanwhile  the  Kroomen  were  despatched  back  to 
the  point  of  observation  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  with 
orders  to  report  from  time  to  time  the  progress  which 
the  cruiser  was  making.  The  captain  saw  that  the 
wind  was  in  his  favor,  and  dead  ahead  for  the  cutter ; 
it  would  be  impossible  for  her  to  enter  the  river  so 
long  as  the  wind  remained  in  that  quarter,  and  as  it 
Avas  now  within  an  hour  of  night,  she  would  scarce 
attempt  to  venture  near  the  shore,  at  all  events  not 
before  morning.  His  hopes  were  that  she  Avould  cast 
anchor  a  mile  or  two  from  land,  and  that  in  the  dark- 
ness he  would  be  able  to  run  the  gantlet  and  get  past 
her.  He  might  catch  a  shot  or  two  while  doing  so,  but 
his  cargo  was  worth  the  risk,  and,  besides,  he  had  now 
no  other  chance  of  saving  either  cargo  or  vessel. 
Should  he  remain  where  he  was,  both  would  be  cap- 
tured before  another  night. 

He  had  formed  his  resolution,  therefore,  to  run  the 
gantlet  as  described,  that  is,  provided  the  cutter  came 
to  anchor  far  enough  out  to  sea  to  give  him  a  chance. 
His  trust  was  in  the  wind,  which  from  this  time  forth 
he  watched  with  the  greatest  anxiety. 


EA^   AWAY    TO    SEA.  203 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

The  living  freight  was  at  length  all  taken  aboard 
and  stowed  away  between  decks,  the  grated  hatches 
were  fastened  down,  and  a  ruffian  sentry  with  musket 
and  bayonet  stood  by  each,  ready  to  use  his  weapon 
upon  any  of  the  poor  wretches  who  might  try  to  get  on 
deck. 

Tlie  captain  only  waited  for  the  report  of  the  Ivroo- 
men. 

This  came  at  length,  and  proved  favorable,  as  the 
slaver  had  expected.  The  cutter  had  failed  to  beat  in 
to  the  shore.  She  had  given  up,  and  cast  anchor  at 
about  two  miles'  distance  from  the  river's  mouth,  there 
to  await  a  change  in  the  wind,  or  the  light  of  another 
day.  It  was  the  very  course  that  the  slave-captain  had 
desired  her  to  take,  and  which  he  had  expected.  From 
the  position  which  the  cutter  occupied,  and  which  had 
been  faithfully  descx'ibed  by  the  boatmen,  he  had  no 
doubt  of  being  able  to  get  past  her  in  the  night.  He 
was  once  more  in  high  spirits,  and  sanguine  of  success. 
Both  he  and  his  majesty  were  in  a  big  humor,  and  the 
rum-glass  went  merrily  round. 

This  final  carouse  occurred  upon  shore,  and  in  tho 
quarters  of  his  majesty,  whose  "  treat "  it  was.     The 


204  EAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

mate,  with  a  boat,  had  gone  down  the  river  to  have  a 
good  view  of  the  anchored  enemy  and  become  perfectly 
acquainted  with  her  position,  with  the  object  of  making 
correct  calculations  about  passing  her. 

Meanwhile,  the  captain  remained  on  shore,  to  enjoy 
the  parting  glass  and  talk  over  future  prospects  with 
King  Dingo  Bingo.  Some  of  the  crew  were  there  as 
well,  among  whom  were  Brace  and  myself,  —  our  pur- 
pose being  to  man  the  captain's  gig  and  row  him  aboard 
as  soon  as  he  should  take  leave  of  his  majesty  and 
suite. 

It  still  wanted  about  half  an  hour  of  sunset  when  the 
mate  returned  from  his  reconnoissance  and  reported 
that  the  cutter  was  anchored  just  as  the  Kroomen  had 
described  ;  and  as  the  Avind  was  still  in  the  same  quarter, 
blowing  directly  from  the  shore,  there  was  every  prob- 
ability that  the  Pandora  would  make  her  escape.  Both 
mate  and  captain  knew  the  coast  well,  and  knew  that 
they  could  run  out  by  keeping  well  to  the  south  of 
where  the  cutter  lay.  On  that  side  the  water  was  deep 
and  open,  and  if  the  wind  held  fair  their  chances  would 
be  good.  There  was  one  thing,  however,  which  both 
feared,  and  that  was  the  cutter's  boats  entering  the  river 
before  the  Pandora  should  have  time  to  weigh  anchor 
and  di'op  down  to  the  sea.  It  was  possible  enough  that 
the  cruiser  knew  the  slaver  Avas  in  the  rivei*.  If  so, 
and  finding  that  she  could  not  beat  near  enough  under 
the  contrary  wind,  she  might  get  out  her  boats  and  row 
them  up  to  the  river's  mouth,  so  as  to  blockade  it.  The 
cruiser's  people  might  do  tliis  A-ery  thing  in  anticipation 
of  the  trick  which  the  slaver  intended  to  serve  them. 


KAN   A"\yAY    TO    SEA.  205 

If,  on  the  contrary,  they  were  not  yet  aware  of  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Pandora,  they  might  not  think  of 
coming  in  before  the  morning.  It  is  true  they  could 
not  perceive  the  slaver's  masts,  —  these  were  not  visible 
from  the  sea,  —  the  tall  teak-trees  and  other  giants  of 
the  forest  intei-posed  their  umbrageous  tops  between, 
and  even  the  high  truck  of  the  barque  could  not  be 
observed  so  far  inland.  But  it  was  possible  that  the 
cruiser  was  acting  upon  information,  and  if  so  she  would 
know  well  enough  where  the  slaver  was  to  be  found, 
and  might  design  to  make  the  attack  by  means  of  her 
armed  boats  that  very  night. 

All  this  was  probable  enough,  —  the  slaver  captain 
knew  it  to  be  so,  and  hence  his  anxiety  to  be  gone  at 
the  earliest  moment. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  darkness  should  descend  upon 
the  earth,  it  was  his  intention  to  take  in  his  anchor,  drop 
quietly  down  the  river,  and  then  make  a  bold  dash  to 
seaward. 

His  design  was  a  sufficiently  good  one.  Though  it 
appeared  rash,  there  was  no  rashness  about  it.  It  was 
his  only  chance  of  saving  his  vessel,  and  cargo  too,  for 
the  one  being  captured  he  would  be  likely  to  lose  the 
other,  and  if  the  Pandora  but  remained  all  night  at 
anchor  where  she  now  lay,  she  would,  in  all  probability, 
be  a  prize  before  the  morning.  AVliether  or  not,  her 
chances  of  escape  in  the  daylight  would  be  greatly 
diminished.  The  cutter  would  see  her  tall  masts  long 
before  she  could  get  out  of  the  river,  and  of  course 
would  have  time  to  manoeuvre  and  intercept  her. 
Whereas,  by  dropping  down  in  the  night,  she  might  be 
18 


206  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

well  out  to  sea  before  any  one  on  board  the  cruiser 
should  notice  her  at  all. 

It  was  finally  resolved  then  by  the  Pandora's  officers 
to  sail  the  moment  the  darkness  came  down  ;  and  both 
were  wishing,  in  their  own  blasphemous  way,  for  a 
dark  night. 

It  yet  wanted  a  few  minutes  of  sundown,  as  the 
captain  took  his  last  embrace  of  King  Dingo  Bingo, 
and  stepped  out  of  the  "palace."  His  majesty  came 
swaggering  along  to  conduct  his  guest  to  the  landing, 
while  several  of  the  sable  courtiers  followed  in  his 
train. 

All  stood  upon  the  bank  while  the  captain  was 
getting  into  his  gig.  Brace  and  I,  with  the  other  men 
of  the  crew,  had  ah-eady  seated  ourselves  in  the  boat, 
and  were  holding  the  oars  balanced  and  ready,  when 
all  at  once  we  were  interrupted  by  a  singular  exclama- 
tion from  the  king. 

On  looking  up  I  perceived  that  his  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  me,  and  the  fat  monster  was  gazing  at  me  as  if  he 
desired  to  eat  me  up,  —  while  all  the  while  he  kept 
jabbering  to  the  captain  in  a  language  which  I  could 
not  comprehend. 

Notwithstanding  the  time  we  had  been  at  his  factory, 
I  had  never  attracted  the  attention  of  his  majesty  be- 
fore. I  don't  think  he  had  ever  seen  me  before,  —  that 
is,  to  take  particular  notice  of  me.  I  had  been,  as 
already  stated,  all  the  time  on  board,  with  the  exception 
of  that  very  evening,  and  the  day  I  had  spent  with 
Brace  in  the  woods ;  and  although  the  slave-king  had 
been  often  aboard,  I  had  never  come  in  his  way,  as  he 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  207 

usually  stayed  about  the  quarter-deck,  or  in  the  cabin. 
It  is  likely  enough,  therefore,  that  this  was  the  first 
time  he  had  set  eyes  upon  me  to  notice  me. 

But  for  what  reason  was  he  taking  such  particular 
notice  of  me  now  ?  Although  I  could  not  tell  what  he 
said,  —  for  the  captain  and  he  talked  in  a  sort  of  bas- 
tard Portuguese  (the  best-known  language  in  these 
parts)  ;  yet  I  perceived  by  his  countenance  and  the 
animated  gestures  which  he  made  use  of,  that  either 
myself,  or  something  about  me,  greatly  interested  him. 

Brace  was  sitting  near  me,  and,  without  raising  my 
voice  above  a  whisper,  I  asked  him  to  tell  me  what  the 
fuss  was  all  about,  —  for  it  had  now  assumed  something 
of  this  character,  —  both  the  captain  and  the  king 
talking  hurriedly,  earnestly,  and  loudly,  in  their  bar- 
barous jargon. 

Brace's  reply  was,  — 

"  The  king  ha!  taken  a  fancy  to  you,  —  he  wants  to 
huy  you  /  "   ' 


208  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 


On  hearing  this  explanation  I  at  first  felt  inclined  to 
laugh,  but  my  mirthful  inclinations  were  soon  dissipated. 
The  serious  tone  of  my  companion's  voice,  and,  above 
all,  the  earnest  manner  of  the  skipper  and  king,  as  they 
talked  the  subject  between  them,  at  once  proved  that 
the  thing  was  no  joke. 

The  captain  did  not  at  first  appear  desirous  of  acced- 
ing to  the  request  of  the  negro  ;  but  the  latter  appeared 
to  press  the  point  with  so  much  solicitation  and  ear- 
nestness that  the  white  ruffian,  stimulated  by  feelings  of 
cupidity,  evidently  began  to  yield.  Five  blacks  were 
offered  in  exchange  for  me,  —  so  Brace  said,  —  and  they 
were  now  squabbling  about  a  sixth !  The  captain  had, 
in  fact,  virtually  consented  to  sell  me,  —  it  was  only  a 
question  of  price ! 

I  was  perfectly  horrified  when  I  learned  this  much. 
Brace  himself  was  greatly  troubled,  —  for  he  knew  well 
that  the  brute  in  whose  power  I  was  would  have  no 
scruples  in  making  such  a  bargain.  The  only  reason 
he  refused  at  first  was  because  he  had  found  me  useful 
on  board  his  barque  ;  but  if  he  could  add  six  able-bodied 
blacks  to  his  cargo,  —  six  that  would  fetch  200/.  each 
on  the  Bi'azilian  coast,  —  that  would  be  a  consideration 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  209 

thcat  would  far  outbalance  any  service  of  mine.  Of 
course  lie  felt  no  responsibility  about  the  matter.  To 
whom  was  he  accountable  ?  —  a  slaver  !  an  outlaw  ! 
Where  and  when  was  I  ever  to  report  or  punish  him  ? 
Nowhere  and  never.  He  might  have  sold  me  into 
slavery  a  dozen  times  —  taken  my  life,  if  it  had  so 
pleased  him  —  Avithout  the  slightest  danger  of  being 
called  to  account  for  it,  —  and  he  well  knew  this. 

No  wonder  then  I  became  horrified.  The  idea  of 
becoming  the  slave  of  that  hideous  and  greasy  savage, 
—  that  cruel  monster,  —  a  wholesale  dealer  in  human 
lives,  —  a  trafficker  in  flesh  and  blood.  O,  it  was  re- 
volting ! 

I  can  hai'dly  describe  the  remainder  of  that  trying 
scene.  I  was  in  such  agony  I  knew  not  how  to  act  or 
what  to  say.  I  remember  being  told  that  the  bargain 
was  concluded,  that  the  king  had  agreed  to  give  six 
blacks  for  me,  and  the  skipper  had  consented  to  take 
them ;  and  to  prove  that  this  was  really  so,  I  saw  the 
latter  step  out  of  the  boat  and  return  to  the  hut,  arm 
in  arm  with  the  gross  savage.  They  were  gone,  so 
said  Brace,  to  conclude  the  bargain  over  a  glass  of 
rum. 

I  raved,  and  shouted,  and  threatened,  and  perhaps  at 
that  moment  blasphemed,  I  was  not  master  of  my 
speech,  nor  yet  of  my  actions.  I  was  so  appalled  with 
the  prosi)ect  before  me,  that  I  could  have  thrown  my- 
self into  the  river.  O,  it  seemed  a  horrible  fate !  — 
thus  to  be  sold  into  worse  than  captivity,  —  a  slavery 
worse  than  death,  to  live  the  slave  of  a  bai'barous  mon- 
ster, with  no  hope  of  deliverance,  for  whence  could 
18  * 


210  KAN   AWAY    TO    S£A. 

deliverance  come  ?  O,  it  seemed  a  horrible  fate !  and 
I  was  almost  frantic. 

My  cries  and  gestures  only  drew  laughter  from  the 
crowd  of  blacks  that  still  lingered  upon  the  bank,  and 
some  of  them  mocked  and  taunted  me  in  their  native 
gibberish.  Even  the  men  in  the  boat  did  not  care  much 
about  the  matter. 

Brace  alone  felt  and  sympathized  with  me,  but  what 
could  he  do  ?  I  saw  from  his  manner  that  he  felt  pow- 
erless to  protect  me.  They  would  have  mastered  and 
punished  him  had  he  opposed  their  wishes. 

I  wondered,  however,  that  he  kept  so  cool  and  quiet. 
I  fancied  he  might  have  shown  more  feeling ;  but  I 
was  wronging  him.  He  felt  keenly,  and  I  soon  learnt 
the  cause  of  his  being  so  silent.  He  had  been  busy  all 
the  while,  —  busy  with  his  thoughts,  —  busy  in  matur- 
ing a  plan  for  my  escape. 

As  soon  as  the  captain  and  king  had  gone  back  from 
the  bank,  my  companion  shifted  a  little  nearer ;  and  in 
a  low,  muttering  voice  that  could  not  be  heard  by  the 
rest,  thus  addressed  me  :  — 

"  No  help  for  't,  my  lad,  —  sold  you  for  six  blacks. 
Go  along  wi'  king,  —  pretend  to  go  willin',  or  they  '11 
tie  you.  Don't  be  obstropelous  an'  get  tied,  —  be  pa- 
tient and  keep  sharp  lookout  till  '  Pandy '  trips  anchor, 
then  gie  'em  the  slip,  —  easy  enough  in  the  dark,  — 
keep  down  the  bank  o'  the  river,  —  near  the  mouth 
take  to  water,  —  swim  straight  for  barque.  I  'U  be  on 
the  lookout  and  throw  ye  a  rope's  end.  Don't  fear  to 
come  on,  —  old  Mugs  won't  mind  your  getting  aboard, 
—  only  too  glad  to  get  you  back  an'  play  Dingo  Bingo 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  211 

a.  trick.  Mind  an'  do  as  I  've  told  you.  Avast !  hush  ! 
—  yondex'  they  come." 

Delivered  as  this  speech  was,  half  in  whisjjer,  and 
lialf  in  interrupted  mutterings,  I  comprehended  its  rea- 
sonahle  design,  and  had  just  time  to  jjromise  obedience 
to- its  directions  when  I  perceived  the  captain  returning 
to  the  boat. 

He  was  not  alone.  The  king  was  waddling  by  his 
side,  and  just  behind  them  were  six  large  negroes, 
chained  two  and  two,  and  driven  forward  by  as  many 
armed  myrmidons  of  their  own  color. 

It  was  for  the  first  six  I  was  to  be  "  swopped,"  or 
rather  had  already  been,  for  the  bargain  was  concluded 
and  the  blacks  were  being  delivered  over  to  form  part 
of  the  slaver's  cargo. 

These  new  "  bultos  "  were  not  slaves,  —  at  least,  they 
had  not  been  such  ten  minutes  before.  They  were 
some  of  the  regular  followers  of  the  negro  king ;  and, 
but  a  short  while  ago,  carried  muskets  and  formed  part 
of  his  military  array,  ready  to  kill  or  capture  his 
enemies  at  his  nod,  or  even  his  friends  if  bidden.  But 
fortune  is  fickle  to  such  heroes,  and  their  more  favored 
companions  had  just  been  directed  to  capture  them  and 
deliver  them  over  to  a  life-long  bondage. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  they  were  huddled  imcer- 
cmoniously  into  the  boat,  while  I  was  pulled  out  of  it 
with  as  little  ceremony  and  handed  over  to  my  new 
master  upon  the  bank. 

No  doubt  the  skipper  was  surprised  that  I  made  so 
little  opposition,  and  the  king  seemed  equally  pleased, 
— .for  he  conducted  me    with   a   sj^^cies   of  di-unken 


212  RAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

politeness  into  the  palace  and  insisted  upon  my  drinking 
with  him  a  ghiss  of  his  best  rum. 

I  looked  through  the  apertures  of  the  upright  palms 
that  formed  tlie  walls  of  the  hut.  I  saw  the  gig  cross 
over  to  the  anchored  vessel,  and  those  whom  she  car- 
ried mount  over  the  gangway.  The  boat  was  then 
rowed  astern,  the  tackle  was  let  down  from  above,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  she  was  hauled  high  out  of  water  to 
her  place  under  the  poop. 

No  longer  had  I  a  chance  to  reach  the  barque  with- 
out swimming  for  it,  and  for  that  was  I  now  to  prepare 
myself. 


KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  213 


CHAPTER    XXXV, 


I  REAiEMBERED  the  advicG  of'  Brace,  and  submitted, 
"xvitli  as  good  grace  as  I  could,  to  the  hospituHties  of  his 
black  majesty.  I  drank  a  portion  of  his  rum,  and  even 
appeared  jollj  !  He  seemed  greatly  pleased  with  my 
behavior,  and  evidently  esteemed  me  a  good  bargain ; 
though  the  slave-captain  had  screwed  him  far  above  his 
original  offer.  Ilis  first  bid  had  been  a  fair  exchange, 
—  man  for  man,  or  man  for  boy,  —  a  black  for  a  white  ; 
and  he  must  have  been  strongly  bent  on  the  purchase 
to  have  given  six  to  one  ! 

What  could  he  intend  me  for?  —  a  slave  to  wait 
upon  him  ?  hand  him  his  food  when  he  should  feel  in- 
clined to  eat  ?  his  rum  when  he  desired  to  drink  ?  fan 
the  mosquitos  off  him  when  he  was  asleep  ?  and  amuse 
him  when  awake  ?  Was  this  the  sort  of  life  for  which 
he  had  designed  me  ?  or  was  he  going  to  promote  me 
to  some  higher  employ  ?  make  me  his  private  secretary 
or  clerk?  his  prime  minister,  perhaps?  marry  me  to 
one  of  his  dark-skinned  daughters  ?  make  a  prince  of 
me  ? 

From  the  hospitable  manner  in  wliich  he  began  his 
treatment  of  me,  I  really  had  thouglit,  that,  if  I  contin- 
ued to  please  him,  he  would  give  me  an  easy  life  of  it. 


211  KAX    AWAY    TO     SEA. 

I  had  heard  of  such  cases,  where  white  men  had  be^ 
come  the  favoi-ites  of  negro  princes,  and  had  been 
placed  in  offices  of  high  trust ;  and  perhaps  such 
would  have  been  my  destiny,  had  I  remained  with  King 
Dingo  Bingo. 

But  even  had  I  been  assured  of  the  best  of  treatment, 
—  even  had  I  been  promised  the  highest  office  in  his 
kingdom,  the  throne  itself,  with  the  handsomest  of 
his  daughters  for  my  queen,  —I  should  have  held  on  to 
my  intention  of  running  away  from  him  all  the  same, 
and  returning  to  the  barque.  It  was  certainly  no  Ely- 
sium to  fly  to,  —  perhaps  from  the  fire  into  the  frying- 
pan  ;  but  still  there  was  the  hope  that  my  life  on  board 
the  Pandora  would  not  be  of  long  continuance,  and 
even  there,  under  the  protection  of  Brace,  they  had  of 
late  treated  me  less  cruelly. 

As  for  King  Dingo  Bingo,  I  felt  a  loathing  in  his 
company  that  I  cannot  describe.  I  felt  a  presentiment 
of  some  terrible  evil,  and  I  was  resolved,  if  I  did  not 
succeed  in  reaching  the  barque,  to  run  away  from  him 
all  the  same  and  try  my  fortune  in  the  woods.  Yes ; 
notwithstanding  its  lions  and  other  fierce  brutes,  I  was 
determined  to  escape  to  the  forest  and  live  as  I  best 
might,  or  die  if  I  could  not  live. 

There  was  a  thought  in  my  mind.  I  had  heard 
them  talk  of  the  English  factory  farther  up  the  coast,  — 
fifty  miles  farther.  I  might  succeed  in  getting  there. 
An  Englishman  was  its  chief. 

True  they  said  he  was  a  friend  of  King  Dingo,  — 
a  partner  in  fact,  —  and  from  what  had  transpired  I 
had  reason  to  believe  that  this  was  but  too  true.     Still 


EAN    AWAY    TO    SKA.  215 

he  was  an  Englisliman.  Surely  he  would  not  give 
me  up,  —  surely  he  dared  not.  I  thought,  too,  of  the 
cruiser.  She  would  protect,  she  would  not  give  me 
up ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  would  have  bloA\Ti  his  black 
majesty  to  the  skies  for  making  such  a  demand.  If  I 
could  only  make  kno^^Ti  my  situation  —  but  how  was 
that  to  be  done  ?  Impossible  !  By  the  morrow's  sun 
she  would  be  no  longer  on  the  coast.  She  would  be 
gone  in  pursuit  of  the  Pandora,  —  perhaps  within  an- 
other hour !  % 

I  was  loathing  the  presence  of  the  negro  king,  who 
appeared  trying,  in  his  rude  manner,  to  be  agreeable. 
He  plied  me  with  rum,  and  I  pretended  to  drink  it. 
I  could  not  understand  his  talk,  though  a  few  English 
words,  and  those  of  the  most  vulgar  in  our  language, 
were  familiar  enough  after  my  voyage  in  the  Pandora. 
But  his  majesty  was  by  this  time  so  drunk  that  even 
his  own  people  could  with  difficulty  understand  him  ; 
and  every  moment  he  was  yielding  more  and  more  to 
the  potent  spirit. 

I  joyed  at  obsei'\ing  this,  —  it  would  help  my  pur- 
pose. I  joyed  to  see  him  stagger  over  the  floor,  and 
still  more  when  he  stumbled  against  a  sort  of  couch-bed 
and  fell  heavily  upon  it. 

The  next  moment  he  was  sound  asleep,  —  a  deep, 
drunken  sleep.  His  snore  was  music  to  my  ears,  — 
though  it  resembled  the  dying  snort  of  a  prize  ox. 

At  this  moment  I  heard  across  the  ri\cr  the  clacking 
of  the  windlass,  and  the  rough  rasping  of  the  anchor 
chain  as  it  was  drawn  thi'ough  the  ii'on  ring  of  the 
hawsc-liole. 


216  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Most  of  the  royal  attendants  were  out  upon  the  hank 
to  witness  the  departure  of  the  harque,  just  visible 
through  the  dim  twilight. 

I  waited  a  few  minutes  longer,  lest  I  should  set  forth 
too  soon,  and  therefore  be  pursued  and  overtaken  be- 
fore I  could  get  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river.  I 
knew  that  the  barque  would  move  but  slowly,  —  the 
stream  was  narrow  and  curved  in  several  places,  and 
therefore  she  could  not  use  her  sails.  She  would  drop 
down  by  the  force  of  the  current,  and  I  could  easily 
keep  up  with  her. 

The  attendants  of  the  king  were  in  no  way  suspicious 
of  my  intentions.  They  observed  that  I  appeared  well 
pleased  with  my  new  situation.  No  doubt  most  of 
them  envied  me  my  good  fortune,  and  it  is  probable  I 
was  looked  upon  as  the  "  new  favorite."  It  was  not 
likely  I  should  run  away  from  such  splendid  prospects, 
—  not  likely  indeed  !  Such  an  idea  never  entered  the 
mind  of  one  of  the  sable  gentlemen  who  surrounded 
me ;  and  as  soon  as  his  majesty  fell  asleep,  I  was  left 
free  to  go  about  wherever  I  pleased.  Just  then  it 
pleased  me  to  skulk  backward  behind  the  great  barra- 
coon,  and  a  little  farther  still  into  the  thick  woods 
beyond.  From  this  point  I  took  a  diagonal  line  that 
led  me  back  to  the  river-bank  again,  —  only  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  below  the  "  factory,"  —  and,  having 
now  got  beyond  earshot  of  the  negro  crew,  and  alto- 
gether out  of  their  sight,  I  advanr-cd  as  rapidly  down 
the  bank  as  the  brushwood  would  permit  me. 


PAX  A\r\r  TO  sr.A.  217 


CIIAPTEll    XXXVI. 

I  HAD  observed  before  starting,  that  the  barque  had 
got  up  her  anchor  and  was  slowly  glidhig  down  stream. 
At  intervals  I  turned  a  little  out  of  my  way  and  came 
close  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  to  make  sure  that  she 
was  not  getting  ahead  of  me ;  and  then  I  would  glide 
back  into  the  path,  which  ran  parallel  with  the  stream, 
but  at  several  yards'  distance  from  the  bank. 

Guiding  myself  thus,  I  advanced  at  about  the  same 
rate  as  the  vessel  was  going,  and  every  now  and  then 
had  her  under  my  eye  through  the  openings  in  the  trees. 

I  had  no  diiriculty  in  making  her  out,  for,  contrary  to 
the  wish  of  the  slave-captain,  the  night  was  a  bright 
one,  with  a  clear  moon  coursing  through  a  sky  that  was 
without  a  single  cloud. 

Slowly  as  sailed  the  barque,  it  was  just  as  much  as  I 
could  do  to  keep  up  with  her.  Had  the  path  been  open 
there  would  have  been  no  diificulty,  —  but  there  was  in 
reality  no  path  at  all,  only  a  track  made  by  wild  ani- 
mals, which  here  and  there  was  closed  up  above  with 
trailing  vines  and  creeping  plants,  that  stretched  from 
tree  to  tree  and  hindered  my  rapid  advance.  Though 
beasts  could  go  under  these  natural  bridges  without 
impediment,  a  human  being  had  to  crouch  under  or 


218  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

climb  over,  and  all  this  required  time.  There  were  so 
many  of  these  obstructions  that  I  was  greatly  delayed 
by  them,  and  found  it  just  as  much  as  I  could  do  to 
keep  square  with  the  vessel  constantly  moving  onward. 
I  knew  that  I  must  get  a  good  way  ahead  of  her,  so  as 
to  choose  a  place  for  taking  to  the  water  and  swimming 
out  to  her  as  she  passed  down.  As  the  river  grew 
Avider  near  its  mouth  I  was  likely  to  have  a  long  swim 
for  it.  { 

Several  times  I  was  terrified  by  the  ap^jearance  of 
Avild  beasts,  whose  forms  I  could  just  distinguish  in  the 
obscurity  that  reigned  under  the  shadows  of  the  trees. 
I  saw  several  kinds,  and  some  of  immense  size,  that 
went  crashing  through  the  underwood  as  I  came  sud- 
denly upon  them.  These  must  have  been  either  rhi- 
noceroses or  the  large  hippopotamus,  —  I  could  not  tell 
Avhich  under  the  shadows,  —  but  whichever  they  were, 
they  ran  off  at  my  approach.  I  might  have  feared 
them  more  than  I  did,  had  it  not  been  that  a  greater 
fear  was  upon  me.  I  feai-ed  to  hear  the  voices  of  King 
Dingo  Bingo  and  his  black  guards  behind  me.  I  feared 
this  more  than  anything;  and  at  intervals  I  stopped 
upon  the  path  and  listened. 

But  indeed  they  would  need  to  have  been  near  for 
me  to  have  heard  them.  The  forest  was  filled  with 
other  sounds,  and  only  a  very  loud  noise  could  have 
been  heard  above  the  general  chorus.  There  was  the 
shrill  chirrup  of  cicadas  and  tree-crickets,  the  hoarse 
croaking  of  toads  and  frogs,  —  some  of  these  as  loud  as 
the  routing  of  a  bull ;  there  was  screaming  of  cats, 
the  barking  of  jackals,  and  the  chattering  and  howling 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  219 

of  monkeys  ;  —  a  perfect  chorus  of  discordant  sounds, 
produced  by  the  barque  moving  down  the  river,  and  no 
doubt  partially  by  my  own  j^assage  tlirough  tlie  undcr- 
Avood.  One  kind  set  the  otlier  a-going,  and  the  ahirni 
and  consequent  noises  proceeding  from  it  spread  to  a 
far  distance  througli  the  forest. 

I  thouglit  it  less  probable  that  I  should  be  followed 
through  the  woods,  than  down  the  stream  itself.  When 
missed,  a  canoe  was  most  likely  to  be  brought  into 
requisition,  —  perhaps  the  royal  galley  itself,  with  his 
majesty  to  guide  the  pursuit.  They  would  remember 
that  I  had  disappeared  just  at  the  moment  the  barque 
weighed  anchor,  and  would  suspect  that  I  had  gone 
aboard  at  once.  It  was  far  more  likely,  therefore,  the 
search  would  be  made  upon  the  water,  and  the  pursuers 
would  paddle  their  craft  directly  for  the  barque.  Under 
this  belief  I  gave  uneasy  glances  up  the  river,  when- 
ever I  could  command  a  view  of  it.  As  yet  no  pursu- 
ers appeared. 

Another  consideration  troubled  me.  The  Kroomen 
had  gone  to  the  river's  mouth  to  watch  the  movements 
of  the  cruiser  and  report  whether  she  had  launched  any 
boats.  Now  these  fellows  were  entirely  in  the  interest 
of  King  Dingo.  They  might  see  me  as  I  swam  to  the 
barque,  and,  taking  me  into  their  boat,  carry  me  back 
to  the  factory.  They  had  been  present  when  the  bar- 
gain was  made,  and  knew  all  about  it.  I  nuist,  there- 
fore, look  out  for  their  boat  and  avoid  it. 

With  such  thoughts  and  resolves  passing  through  my 
mind,  I  once  more  marked  the  progress  of  the  vessel, 
and,  diving  into  the  underwood,  kept  on. 


220  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

At  lengtli  I  reached  a  point  where  there  was  a  bend 
in  the  river.  It  was  not  far  from  its  mouth.  Beyond 
this  place  the  stream  widened  into  a  sort  of  bay. 

It  would  not  do  for  me  to  go  beyond.  I  should  have 
too  long  a  swim  for  it ;  besides,  the  barque  Avas  about 
being  got  under  sail,  —  her  canvas  was  already  loose  ; 
and  once  the  sails  were  sheeted  home,  they  would  catch 
the  wind  and  carry  her  rapidly  through  the  water,  —  so 
rapidly  that  I  might  not  be  able  to  get  aboard. 

I  had  gone  far  enough.  I  had  reached  the  point 
where  it  was  best  for  me  to  take  to  the  water;  and, 
flinging  off  my  shoes  and  most  of  my  clothing,  I  stepped 
down  to  the  water's  edge  and  plunged  in. 


KAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA.  221 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 


The  barque  was  not  yet  opposite  me ;  but,  by  the 
rate  at  wliich  she  was  moving,  I  calculated  she  would 
be  so  by  the  time  I  could  arrive  in  mid-stream. 

Brace  had  told  me  to  swim  for  the  bows,  —  for  he 
would  be  there  with  his  roj^e ;  while  in  case  I  should 
not  be  able  to  lay  hold  of  it,  another  would  be  ready  at 
the  gangway  ports  with  a  second  rope.  One  or  other 
would  be  sure  to  haul  me  in ;  but  it  Avould  be  better  if 
I  could  get  aboard  at  the  bows,  as  then  I  might  not  be 
observed  either  by  mate  or  skipper,  and  even  should 
his  majesty  come  after  me  I  could  be  hidden  away 
about  the  forecastle.  The  skipper,  not  knowing  I  was 
aboard,  Avould,  of  course,  deny  me  with  a  will.  I  was 
determined,  tlierefore,  to  do  all  I  could  to  get  aboard 
by  the  bows. 

I  Avas  an  excellent  SAvimmer,  —  not  surpassed  by  any 
of  the  Pandora's  crew,  except,  jierhaps,  by  Brace  him- 
self, who  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  world.  I  had 
practised  a  great  deal  in  my  school-days  in  rivers, 
fresh-water  lakes,  and  the  sea  itself;  and  I  thought 
nothing  of  swimmijig  a  mile  or  more  without  rest. 
Crossing  from  the  bank  of  the  river  to  mid-stream  — 
a  distance  of  not  over   two  hundred  yards  —  was  a 

19* 


222  RAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA. 

mere  bagatelle,  and  I  had  no  apprehension  of  being 
able  to  accomplish  it  at  my  ease. 

But  although  I  had  no  apprehension  about  my  powers 
of  swimming,  I  was  keenly  sensible  of  danger  from 
another  source.  I  had  not  thought  of  it  before  that 
moment,  —  for  the  excitement  of  escaping,  and  the 
difficulty  of  making  my  way  through  the  underwood, 
had  driven  every  thought  of  danger  out  of  my  head, 
except  that  of  being  pursued.  The  peril  from  behind 
had  prevented  me  from  dwelling  upon  dangers  ahead ; 
and  it  was  only  after  I  had  plunged  into  the  stream 
that  I  became  the  victim  of  a  keen  api^rehension. 
Then,  and  not  till  then,  did  I  remember  the  fate  of  the 
unfortunate  Dutchman  !  —  then,  and  not  till  then,  did  I 
think  of  the  crocodiles  ! 

A  horrid  sensation  came  over  me,  —  a  dread  feeling 
of  fear.  My  blood  ran  cold,  —  far  colder  than  the 
water  of  the  stream.  Perhaps  at  that  moment  I  was 
within  reach  of  a  huge  man-eating  crocodile,  —  at  all 
events,  within  sight,  for  some  of  these  hideous  monstors 
were  sure  to  be  near,  either  by  one  bank  or  the  other. 
Indeed,  as  I  was  about  to  plunge  in,  I  saw  a  long  dark 
form  by  the  shore,  some  twenty  yards  farther  down, 
which  I  had  taken  for  a  floating  log.  The  noise  made 
by  my  body  striking  the  water  had  caused  it  to  move. 
I  thought  then  it  was  the  current ;  but  now,  under  my 
keen  apprehensions,  I  thought  differently.  It  was  no 
dead  log,  —  it  was  the  motion  of  a  living  creature,  — 
beyond  doubt  a  huge  crocodile  ! 

This  conjecture  soon  became  a  conviction.  A  floating 
log  would  scarce  have  settled  there,  against  the  sedgy 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  223 

bank,  and  where  there  was  current  enough  to  carry  it 
onward ;  it  was  no  log,  it  was  the  great  lizard  itself. 

I  could  not  restrain  myself  from  half  turning  round, 
and  raising  my  body  high  in  the  water  to  look  back. 
The  clear  moonlight  gave  me  every  advantage,  and  I 
could  perceive  any  object  on  the  water  almost  as 
distinctly  as  by  day. 

One  glance  was  sufficient  to  make  me  aware  of  my 
perilous  position.  Merciful  Heaven !  my  conjecture 
was  too  true  !  —  the  dead  log  was  no  log,  but  an  enor- 
mous crocodile  !  —  its  hideous  shape  was  plainly  seen  ; 
its  long  cloven  head  and  broad  scaly  back  glittered  high 
above  the  water,  and  its  snout  was  elevated  and  turned 
towai'ds  me,  as  though  it  was  just  getting  over  a  sur- 
prise, and  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  what  sort  of 
creature  I  was. 

Its  surprise,  however,  was  soon  over,  and  before  I 
could  stretch  myself  to  swim  on,  I  saw  it  lash  the  water 
into  foam  with  its  tail,  —  as  if  to  set  itself  in  motion,  — 
and  the  next  moment  it  parted  fi'om  the  bank  and  came 
rushing  towards  me ! 

Its  body  was  now  sunk  below  the  surface,  but  its 
gaunt,  haggard  head,  and  sharp  snout,  were  projected 
high  above  the  water. 

I  saw  aU  this  as  I  turned  round  again  ;  and  with  a 
feeling  of  cold  horror  upon  me  I  swam  on. 

The  barque  was  now  near,  —  her  bows  were  not 
fifty  yards  distant,  and  the  crocodile  was  still  moi-e 
than  a  hundred  behind  me.  But  I  Avell  knew  that 
these  amphibious  monsters  can  far  outswim  a  man. 
Tlirough  the   water  they  make  progress  as  an  otter, 


224  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

and  with  like  rapidity.  I  felt  sure  I  should  be  over- 
taken, and  then  — 

The  cold  hori-or  continued,  —  I  screamed  out  for 
help,  —  I  continued  my  cries  as  I  swam  on  ! 

I  heard  voices  from  the  barque,  in  answer  to  my 
cries.  I  could  see  forms  gliding  about  the  head,  and 
running  out  upon  the  bumpkin-shrouds,  and  along  the 
bowsprit.  I  could  distinguish  the  deep  voice  of  Brace 
uttering  words  of  encouragement  and  direction. 

I  was  under  the  bows^jrit  end,  —  I  could  see  no  rope, 
—  I  looked  in  vain  for  a  rope,  —  none  had  been  thrown 
to  me.     O  heavens  !  what  was  I  to  do  ? 

Once  more  I  raised  myself  in  the  water,  and  looked 
back.  It  was  an  appalling  sight.  The  black  head  of 
the  crocodile  glittered  within  ten  feet  of  me.  I  could 
see  the  jaws  extended,  —  the  long,  irregular  tusks,  — 
the  strong,  scaly  limbs,  as  they  paddled  the  water  — 

In  another  instant  I  should  have  felt  those  terrible 
teeth ;  and,  gripped  between  the  hard  jaws  of  the 
monster,  as  in  a  vice,  would  have  been  dragged  to  the 
bottom  of  the  dark  waters  —  had  it  been  my  destiny. 

But  it  was  not  so  written  in  the  book  of  fate.  Just 
as  I  had  given  myself  up  for  lost,  I  felt  a  strong  hand 
clutching  my  garments  by  the  waist,  and  the  instant 
after  I  was  lifted  clear  out  the  river,  and  hoisted  high 
into  the  air  !  The  crocodile  made  a  rush  forward  and 
leaped  far  above  the  surface  ;  but  I  had  been  raised 
beyond  his  reach,  and  he  fell  back  with  a  plunge,  and 
for  some  moments  continued  lashing  the  water  with  his 
tail.  Then,  seeing  that  his  victim  had  escaped  him,  he 
6wam  off,  and  disappeared  round  the  side  of  the  vessel. 


RAN    AWAT    TO    SEA.  22^ 

I  scarce  knew  how  I  had  been  so  miraculously  saved' 
Despair  and  terror  had  confused  my  senses ;  and  it  was 
only  after  I  had  been  passed  above,  and  set  upon  my 
feet  upon  the  firm  deck,  that  I  understood  all. 

Brace  was  my  preserver.  He  had  run  out  to  the 
bowsprit  end,  and  from  that  had  slipped  down  the 
dolphin-sti'iker,  and  let  himself  still  lower  by  means  of 
a  looped  rope.  By  this  means  he  had  been  enabled  to 
swing  himself  down,  so  that  he  could  reach  the  surfoce. 
Fortunately,  it  was  at  that  moment  that  I  had  risen  in 
the  water  to  face  the  crocodile,  and  had  thus  given 
Brace  the  opportunity  of  gripping  me  firmly  and  jerking 
me  aloft. 

It  was  a  very  tight  fit,  however ;  and  I  vowed,  that, 
unless  forced  to  it,  I  would  never  again  bathe  my 
limbs  in  the  waters  of  an  Afrieau  rher. 


2P.C)  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

I  HAVE  no  doubt  that  the  skipper  knew  all  about  my 
coming  aboard.  Indeed,  there  had  been  such  a  noise 
made  by  the  men  while  the  crocodile  was  in  pursuit  of 
me,  that  it  was  impossible  that  either  he  or  the  mate 
could  be  ignorant  of  the  cause  of  it.  I  Avas  taken  down 
to  the  forecastle,  however,  and  heard  not  a  word  about 
being  sent  back.  In  truth,  as  Ben  had  already  informed 
me  in  his  mutterings,  the  skipper  was  rather  pleased 
than  otherwise,  at  being  able  to  overreach  King  Dingo, 
and  as  he  had  found  me  useful  to  himself  he  had  no 
desire  to  let  me  go.  It  was  only  the  large  profit  he 
expected  by  the  exchange  that  had  tempted  him  to  part 
with  me ;  but  so  long  as  he  had  kept  his  bargain  and 
regularly  delivered  me  over,  his  conscience  was  satis- 
fied, and  he  was  in  no  way  offended  or  displeased  that 
I  had  found  my  way  back  to  the  barque.  Unless, 
therefore,  the  canoe  came  after  us  and  demanded  me  to 
be  given  up,  1  would  not  have  to  go  back  to  Dingo 
Bingo. 

It  was  not  until  we  were  cleverly  out  of  the  river, 
and  the  Pandora  had  spread  her  wings  to  the  bi'eeze, 
and  was  standing  towards  the  ojicn  sea,  that  I  felt  easy 
in  my  mind.  Many  an  uneasy  glance  did  I  cast  up  the 
river  as  we  floated  slowly  towards  its  mouth,  noting 
every  dark  object  and  every  ripple  that  appeared  upon 


RAX   AWAY    TO    SEA.  227 

its  current.  It  was  not  the  crocodile  that  caused  me  to 
look  tremblingly  back ;  it  was  a  still  more  hideous  mon- 
ster I  dreaded,  —  the  long  canoe  with  its  row  of  sable 
rowers,  and  King  Dingo  Bingo  in  the  stem. 

The  thought  of  being  taken  back  was  dreadful  in  the 
extreme.  I  should  no  longer  be  treated  with  kindness ; 
on  the  contrary,  the  spiteful  monarch  would  punish  me 
for  my  attempt  to  escape,  would  revenge  himself  for 
the  deception  I  had  practised  upon  him,  —  would  lead 
me  a  life  of  the  greatest  misery. 

Yes,  it  would  be  a  sad  affair  to  be  retaken  ;  and  not 
till  the  Pandora  had  swept  out  of  the  river's  mouth  — 
not  till  the  Kroomen's  boat  had  been  passed,  and  we 
were  scudding  out  into  the  wide  sea  —  did  I  get  over 
my  apprehension.  Then  Avas  I  relieved  from  all  uneasi- 
ness on  the  score  of  Dingo  Bingo,  and  the  moment  after 
had  ceased  to  think  of  him  and  his  brutal  myrmidons. 

Yes,  —  the  moment  after,  —  for  a  new  scene  was 
upon  the  stage,  —  a  new  spectacle  was  to  be  enacted  of 
which  I  was  to  be  a  witness. 

As  soon  as  the  Pandora  had  passed  the  river-bar  she 
was  visible  to  the  cutter,  from  the  water-line  to  the 
truck,  and  so  was  the  cutter  to  her.  Both  vessels  had 
a  full  view  of  each  other,  or  might  have  had,  for  the 
moon  was  shining  so  clear  that  a  ship  could  be  traced 
at  a  long  distance  off. 

The  cutter's  people,  however,  did  not  appear  to  notice 
the  slaver,  until  the  latter  had  got  several  luuidrcd  yards 
out  to  sea.  Perhaps  the  shadowy  background  of  the 
forest  obscured  her,  or  the  watch  may  have  been  care- 
less. Whether  or  no,  it  was  some  minutes  before  there 
was  any  movement  on  board   the  cruiser.      Then  a 


228  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

movement  was  observed,  which  showed  that  (she  had 
discovered  the  barque.  The  drum  was  heard  sounding 
the  alarm,  and  her  sails  were  unfurled  with  all  the 
rapidity  which  results  from  sufficient  strength  in  a  crew, 
combined  with  perfect  discipline. 

Notwithstanding  the  advantage  which  the  slave-cap- 
tain had  obtained  from  the  boldness  of  his  attempt  and 
the  suddenness  of  his  appearance,  there  was  one  circum- 
stance that  had  turned  against  him.  During  the  hour 
or  two  that  had  intervened  since  the  cruiser  had  dropped 
anchor,  the  wind  had  veered  round  nearly  a  full  quar- 
ter, and,  instead  of  blowing  direct  from  the  land,  its 
course  was  now  nearly  parallel  with  the  shore. 

Of  course  the  experienced  skipper  had  observed  the 
change  long  ago,  —  it  required  only  a  glance  to  per- 
ceive it,  —  the  cutter  hei'self,  now  lying  at  anchor, 
beam-ends  to  the  shore,  indicated  the  change,  for  the 
Kroomen  had  reported,  that,  when  she  first  anchored, 
her  head  was  pointed  directly  for  the  land. 

The  slave-captain  with  chagrin  observed  this  change 
in  the  Avind,  and  with  an  apprehension  he  had  not 
before  felt.  Had  the  wind  continued  in  the  same  quar- 
ter as  when  the  cruiser  was  just  reported,  be  knew  that 
he  could  easily  run  out  past  her.  The  breeze  would 
have  then  been  upon  his  own  quarter,  and  in  that 
way  his  crank  vessel  sailed  best ;  and  by  making  good 
speed  along  the  diagonal  line,  he  had  calculated  on  be- 
ing able  to  get  past,  with  only  the  risk  from  a  long 
shot  or  two. 

The  change,  however,  was  against  him.  The  cruiser 
was  dii'ectly  out  to  sea,  —  about  two  miles  from  the 
river's  mouth.     He  could  not  sail  to  windward  of  her, 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  229 

as  that  would  be  too  close  to  the  wind  for  his  own 
vessel,  unless  he  kept  within  range  of  shot ;  and  it  so 
happened  that  to  leeward  there  was  a  shoal,  or  long 
sand-bank,  that  stretched  almost  from  the  shore  to 
where  the  cutter  was  lying.  There  may  have  been  a 
distance  of  half  a  mile  between  the  cutter  and  the  edge 
of  this  shoal,  but  this  was  not  a  sufficient  width  for  run- 
ning the  gantlet  as  the  slave-captain  had  intended. 
The  war-ship,  running  down  the  wind,  would  easily  have 
intercepted  the  barque  before  she  could  have  passed 
through,  and  given  the  latter  such  a  broadside  as  would 
have  crippled  and  brought  her  to  at  once. 

I  Avas  standing  near  the  skipper  and  his  mate,  and 
listening  to  their  horrid  execrations  as  they  perceived 
the  dilemma  they  were  in.  I  was  listening,  because  I 
was  as  much  interested  as  they  could  have  been  in  the 
result,  —  though  with  hopes  and  wishes  directly  an- 
tagonistic to  theirs,  —  I  was  praying  in  my  heai't 
that  Ave  should  be  captured !  Even  at  the  risk  of  be- 
ing killed  l)y  a  broadside  from  one  of  my  own  coun- 
try's ships,  I  could  not  help  desiring  this  termination 
to  the  affiiir. 

Even  though  I  had  been  but  a  few  minutes  aboard, 
since  the  lading  of  the  cargo,  I  was  already  Impressed 
with  the  awful  scene.  I  felt  pity,  —  keen  comijassion, 
—  blended  with  loathing.  The  horrid  howling  of  the 
blacks,  crowded  to  suffocation  below,  —  their  cries  of 
entreaty,  and,  at  times,  of  menace,  —  were  a  foretaste 
of  what  I  should  be  compelled  to  listen  to  for  weeks, 
perhaj)s  months.  O,  it  would  be  a  fearful  existence ! 
In  my  heart  I  pi-ayed  that  we  should  be  captured. 
20 


230  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

I  "WAS  beginning  to  draw  hope  from  tlie  behavior  of 
the  slave-captain  and  his  mate.  Their  apprehension 
increased,  as  they  saw  the  cutter  expand  her  sails  and 
commence  moving  through  the  water.  So  rapid  was 
the  manoeuvre,  it  was  evident  she  had  not  waited  to 
take  up  her  anchor,  but  had  cut  the  cable !  So  said  the 
people  of  the  Pandora. 

The  mate  appeared  to  urge  some  desperate  course 
upon  his  superior.  His  words  were  —  as  I  heard 
them :  — 

"  "We  can't  pass  her ;  —  it 's  no  use,  by !    The 

other  's  our  only  chance,  —  the  tide 's  well  in,  —  there  '11 
be  no  danger." 

"  Try  it,  then  ! "   was  the  captain's  reply;  "we'll  be 

taken  anyhow  if  we  don't,  and,  by ,  I  'd  rather  go 

to  pieces  on  a  reef  than  be  taken  by  this  bloody ." 

The  blasphemous  dialogue  ended,  and  the  mate  hur- 
ried off  to  give  some  directions  to  the  crew. 

I  knew  not  what  they  meant  to  do,  but  in  a  few  mo- 
ments after  I  observed  that  the  Pandora  suddenly 
changed  her  course  and  steered  direct  for  the  cutter ! 
One  would  have  thought  she  was  going  to  run  right 
down  upon  the  latter,  as  if  to  ride  over  her,  or  have  a 
shot  from  her  bow-ports  ;  and  no  doubt  the  war-ship  was 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  231 

astonished  at  the  manoeuvre,  as  were  many  of  the  slav- 
er's own  crew. 

The  mate,  however,  who  had  counselled  this  move- 
ment, had  a  method  in  his  madness.  It  was  not  his  in- 
tention to  rush  upon  destruction  so  certain  as  that  would 
have  been  ;  and  before  the  Pandora  had  sailed  three 
cables'  length  in  its  new  direction,  she  was  seen  to  tack 
round,  till  the  wind  lay  upon  her  beam  and  her  bow- 
sprit once  more  pointed  towards  the  land ! 

This  manoeuvre  was  still  a  mystery  to  most  of  the 
slaver's  crew,  who,  of  course,  acted  only  in  obedience  to 
orders.  There  were  a  few  of  them,  however,  in  the 
confidence  of  their  officers,  who  knew  the  intention. 

The  cruiser  evidently  did  not.  No  doubt  the  idea  of 
her  commander  was,  that  the  barque  was  making  back 
for  the  river,  for  towards  that  point  was  she  now  head- 
ing. Seeing  that  she  could  not  escape  out  to  sea,  she 
was  giving  up  the  attempt,  and  her  crew  were  now  re- 
solved in  running  the  vessel  either  into  the  river  again, 
or  ashore  anywhere,  with  the  design  of  abandoning  her 
and  making  their  escape  in  the  boats.  Thus  only  could 
the  cutter's  commander  interpret  the  strange  manoeuvre 
of  the  barque.  He  never  suspected  a  ruse,  for  there 
seemed  no  chance  of  effecting  one.  But  the  cutter's 
commander  was  mistaken.  A  ruse  was  intended,  and, 
in  less  than  twenty  minutes  after,  was  carried  out  before 
the  commander's  eyes,  no  doubt  to  his  astonishment  and 
chagrin.  If  the  slave-captain  and  his  assistant  lacked 
humanity,  they  were  not  deficient  in  seamanship,  and 
their  superior  knowledge  of  the  coast  now  gave  them 
the  advantage. 


232  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

As  soon  as  it  was  perceived  that  the  slaver  had  tacked 
and  was  lieading  back  towards  the  river,  the  cruiser  also 
changed  her  course  and  followed  after.  Of  course  the 
latter  made  all  speed,  in  full  expectation  of  either  cap- 
turing the  barque  at  once,  or  chasing  her  into  the  river, 
where  she  would  become  an  easy  prey.  The  only  fear 
now  among  the  cutter's  crew  was,  that  the  slaver's  would 
either  scuttle  the  barque,  or  set  fire  to  her  on  leaving ; 
and,  with  the  thoughts  of  prize-money  in  their  minds, 
this  was  their  great  source  of  apprehension.  But  they 
were  determined  to  give  no  time  either  for  scuttling  or 
burning,  and  every  hand  on  board  the  war-ship  was 
exerting  himself  to  produce  speed. 

I  have  stated  that  there  was  a  reef  to  leeward :  it 
should  rather  be  called  a  shoal,  since  it  was  a  sort  of 
muddy  sand-bank  formed  by  the  current  of  the  river, 
and  running  diagonally  into  the  sea  for  a  long  distance, 
—  a  sort  of  low  peninsula.  Now  this  sand-bank,  where 
it  joined  the  land,  was  usually  covered  with  water,  and, 
during  full  tides,  a  good-sized  ship  might  cross  over  the 
miniature  isthmus,  and  get  out  to  sea  through  the  long 
reach  of  water  between  the  sand-bank  and  the  shore. 
It  was  only  at  high  tide  that  this  could  be  done,  with  a 
vessel  drawing  any  considerable  depth  of  water. 

For  some  ten  minutes  had  the  chase  continued,  —  one 
vessel  following  directly  in  the  wake  of  the  other.  The 
barque  was  now  close  in  to  the  land,  and  as  if  about  to 
enter  the  river's  mouth,  while  the  cutter  was  a  half- 
mile  astern,  and  just  opposite  the  longitudinal  edge  of 
the  shoal. 

At  this  moment  the  slaver  let  slip  her  lee-braces,  -^ 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  233 

her  head  came  round  till  the  wind  was  right  astern,  and 
she  stood  right  m  behind  the  reef.  It  was  a  moment  of 
anxiety  among  her  crew.  In  another  instant  she  would 
strike  or  go  free.  In  another  instant  she  would  be  bilg- 
ing helplessly  among  the  sands  of  Africa,  or  would  be 
on  her  course  free  and  unimpeded  for  the  shores  of 
America ! 

This  time  the  triumph  was  for  the  wicked.  The 
barque  scraped  the  sand  upon  the  bottom,  but  passed 
safely  across.  The  crisis  Avas  over,  and  the  hoarse 
huzza  of  that  ruffian  crew  announced  the  victory  I 

Farther  pursuit  was  useless.  The  cutter  was  still 
climbing  along  the  edge  of  the  sandy  shoal,  —  slowly, 
for  wind  and  tide  were  against  her,  while  the  barque, 
with  all  sail  set,  was  scudding  down  the  opposite  side 
at  the  rate  of  twelve  knots  an  hour ! 

Shots  were  fired  from  the  cruiser's  guns,  but  with 
little  effect,  —  a  broken  spar  and  a  rope  or  two  cut  in 
the  rigging  Avere  easily  set  to  rights  ;  and  before  the 
cutter  could  wear  and  get  out  to  sea  the  slave-ship  was 
far,  far  away  towai'ds  the  rim  of  the  hoi'izon  ! 


20* 


234  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    XL. 


Op  the  cutter  we  never  saw  more.  When  the  sun 
rose  there  was  no  sail  in  sight,  and  the  slaver,  alone 
upon  the  ocean,  was  standing  upon  her  westward  course, 
under  a  soft  gentle  breeze  and  a  cloud  of  sail.  No  doubt 
the  cutter  had  abandoned  the  chase  near  the  coast,  —  for 
her  former  experience  had  taught  her,  that  under  such 
a  light  wind  she  was  no  match  for  the  barque.  She 
saw  that  the  latter  had  escaped,  —  that  it  would  be  use- 
less to  follow  her  out  into  the  Atlantic,  —  and  she  was 
constrained,  therefore,  to  go  in  search  of  other  slavers 
that  might  prove  less  fleet  than  the  Pandora.  Under 
these  circumstances-  the  chase  was  abandoned,  and  the 
barque  was  now  free  to  traverse  the  wide  Atlantic  Ocean, 
and  deliver  her  human  cargo  on  the  Brazilian  shores. 
It  would  be  a  mere  accident  if  she  met  with  further  in- 
terruption. Possibly,  an  English  man-o'-war  of  the 
South  American  squadron  might  yet  overhaul  her ;  but 
far  more  likely  she  would  find  her  way  into  some  quiet 
little  Brazilian  harbor,  —  or  into  Cuba,  if  she  preferred 
it,  —  where  she  would  be  entirely  welcome,  and  where 
her  OAvner  would  find  not  the  least  difficulty  in  disposing 
of  his  five  hundred  "  bales,"  or  ten  times  the  number  if 
he  had  had  them. 


RAX   AWAY    TO    SEA.  235 

This  then  was  the  probable  destiny  of  the  Pandora. 
Her  voyage  was  to  be  a  success ;  five  hundred  more 
unfortunate  beings  were  to  swell  the  ranks  of  slavery, — 
her  captain  would  be  enriched,  —  her  crew  would  re- 
ceive bounty  and  live  for  a  time  in  riotous  debaucher}-, 
—  and  all  this  at  the  expense  of  every  right  of  human- 
ity,—  every  principle  of  morality. 

What  cared  they  for  this,  either  captain  or  crew? 
They  knew  that  governments  winked  at  their  transgres- 
sions,—  that  some  openly  approved  of  them  ;  some  of 
these  rough  fellows  were  even  intelligent  enough  to 
know,  that  the  apparently  earnest  endeavors  on  the  part 
of  the  government  of  Great  Britain  to  suppress  slavery 
and  the  slave-trade  were  only  mock-earnest  after  all,  — 
a  mere  political  pretence,  —  a  ritse  against  the  repub- 
licanism of  America.  Yes ;  some  of  these  rough  fel- 
lows knew  it  to  be  sham,  —  knew,  too,  that  the  sums 
annually  expended  by  Great  Britain  on  the  barbaric 
luxuries  of  an  idle  court  would  have  been  sufficient  to 
have  stopped  slave-dealing  over  the  whole  world,  —  but 
that,  instead,  this  profuse  waste  only  created  slaves,  — 
white  slaves,  and  a  far  greater  number  than  all  the 
blacks  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic.  Yes ;  many  of 
these  rough  fellows  had  wit  enough  to  understand  sucli 
matters  ;  and  it  is,  therefore,  less  to  be  wondered  at  (hat 
they  should  fall  into  this  life  of  reckless  outlawry.  More- 
over, success  once  obtained,  there  would  be  no  outlaws 
on  the  farther  side.  The  rich  skipper  would  take  rank 
among  merchant-princes  there.  He  would  go  into  the 
best  company,  —  and  be  well  entertained.  No  matter 
that  his  hand  was  stained  with  blood  and  his  bro\«' 


236  EAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

stumped  with  guilt.  Kings,  princes,  and  emperors  of 
our  day  are  similarly  branded  ;  but  for  all  that,  the  dain- 
ty white  hand  of  woman  is  contented  to  grasp  theirs  in 
the  cordial  embrace  of  amity  and  approval.  With  such 
high  examples  before  the  world,  no  wonder  there  are 
slavers,  —  no  wonder  there  should  be  pirates.  It  is 
only  singular  there  are  not  more  of  them. 

Joyful  and  jolly  were  the  crew  of  the  Pandora,  when 
they  beheld  the  cutter  hull  down  upon  the  horizon,  and 
saw  that  she  abandoned  the  chase.  Their  labor  would 
now  be  of  the  easiest  kind,  for  a  run  across  the  Atlan- 
tic, from  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  to  the  Brazils,  is  one  of 
the  easiest  of  voyages  to  the  seaman.  The  trade-winds 
blow  almost  constantly  in  his  favor.  The  trim  vessel 
sweeps  smoothly  along,  and  the  sails  but  rarely  require 
shifting.  It  is  more  like  floating  with  the  current  of 
some  gentle  stream,  than  making  way  across  the  broad 
billowy  bosom  of  the  Atlantic. 

Alas !  smoothly  as  we  ran,  it  was  far  from  being  a 
pleasant  period  of  existence  to  me.  I  was  called  upon 
to  witness  a  scene  of  constant  suffering ;  daily  —  ay, 
hourly  —  my  heart  was  Avrung  with  pain,  for  there 
was  not  an  hour  in  which  some  agonizing  spectacle 
did  not  transpire  among  the  wretched  denizens  of  the 
"  half-deck." 

I  need  not  here  describe  the  ordinary  sufferings  of 
the  slave-ship.  They  are  recorded  in  many  books  ; 
and  I  believe  the  most  heart-rending  tales  that  have 
been  told  are  not  a  whit  exaggerated.  My  own  experi- 
ence convinces  me  that  most  of  them  are  within  the 
boundaries  of  truth.     On  board  the  Pandora  these  poor 


RAX   AAVAT    TO    SEA.  237 

Avrctchcs  were  treated  as  is  Ui^ual  on  other  slave-vessels. 
They  were  kept  below,  elose  paeked  and  without  any 
accommo<^lation  as  to  sleeping,  or  even  for  lying  down. 
They  were  obliged  to  huddle  together  and  lie  over  one 
another !  They  had  not  even  space  enough  to  be  all 
seated  at  one  time ;  and  the  air  which  they  were  com- 
pelled to  breathe  was  foul  and  exhausted  of  all  healthy 
principle.  They  Avere  fed  and  watered  just  as  a  farmer 
would  provender  his  hogs  or  cattle  ;  and  in  fact  they 
were  treated  in  all  respects  as  cattle  are  Avhen  trans- 
ported across  the  sea,  —  perhaps  not  quite  so  Avell  as 
these.  Even  brutes  would  scarce  have  been  used  so 
cruelly.  They  were  only  permitted  on  deck  four  or 
five  at  a  time,  and  only  for  a  feAV  minutes,  after  whieli 
they  Avere  forced  without  ceremony  to  plunge  back  into 
their  loathsome  quarters,  and  the  merciless  grating  Avas 
shut  doAA'n  upon  them. 

Over  this  stood  a  sentry  with  loaded  musket  and 
bayonet,  —  the  latter  of  Avhich  Avas  often  called  into 
requisition  in  the  most  wanton  and  cruel  manner.  The 
object  Avas  to  awe  the  poor  Avretches  into  such  fear  as 
would  paralyze  aU  efforts  at  conspiracy  or  mutiny,  for 
these  are  sometimes  dreaded  on  board  the  slaver. 

Of  course  such  treatment  speedily  produced  its  effect. 
In  a  fcAV  days  a  change  Avas  apparent  upon  both  the 
faces  and  forms  of  the  unfortunate  victims.  Their 
bodies  became  attenuated,  their  cheeks  emaciated,  and 
their  eyes  sunk  far  into  their  sockets.  Their  high 
cheek-bones  rose  higher,  and  gave  to  their  features  a 
gaunt,  Avolfish  appearance  tliat  Avas  hideous  to  behold  ; 
while  the  shining  black  departed  from  their  complex- 


238  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

ions,  and  their  skin  assumed  a  whitish  powdered  appear- 
ance, as  if  they  had  been  rolling  in  meal ! 

It  was  indeed  an  awful  spectacle,  this  transformation 
of  the  image  of  God  into  what  had  more  of  the  sem- 
blance of  the  Devil,  —  an  awful  spectacle  ;  and  hourly 
was  my  heart  wrung  with  grief  and  pain. 

Not  so  the  crew  of  the  Pandora.  They  ate  and 
drank  and  were  jolly  aU  the  way.  They  never  even 
thought  of  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  wretches  below, 
whose  groans  often  echoed  their  laughter.  No,  these 
blacks  were  but  brutes,  to  be  bought  and  sold,  and  as 
such  did  they  in  reality  regard  them. 


RAN    AWAY    TO     SEA.  239 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

I  SHALL  spare  the  reader  many  details  of  this  voyage 
of  the  Pandora.  There  were  but  few  incidents  outside 
the  vessel  itself  to  break  the  monotony,  —  not  even  one 
sail  was  seen  for  two  weeks  after  leaving  the  Gulf  of 
Guinea.  But  there  were  incidents  enough  on  board, 
many  horrid  ones,  of  which  I  shall  spare  the  reader 
the  details. 

One  I  must  relate  in  all  its  particulars.  It  will  be 
found  to  contain  horrors  enough  for  a  thousand,  which 
I  would  spare  the  reader  if  possible  ;  but  by  doing  so 
my  nan-ative  must  come  to  a  sudden  termination,  since 
in  this  incident  lies  the  continuation  of  my  story. 

Incident  is  hardly  the  name  for  what  I  am  about  to 
relate.  It  was  more  than  a  mere  occurrence ;  it  was 
a  dread  and  awful  calamity  ;  and  in  a  retrospect  of  the 
events  of  my  life,  this  is  the  one  which  rises  upon  my 
memory  the  saddest  and  darkest ;  indeed,  at  the  time  of 
its  occurrence  it  made  upon  my  mind  an  impression  so 
appalling,  that  it  was  a  long  while  before  I  could  think 
of  anything  else.  Even  now,  long  years  after,  the  ter- 
rible drama  I  was  witness  of,  and  partly  an  actor  in,  is 
often  passed  in  review  before  the  eye  of  memory ;  and 
its  horrid  scenes  appear  to  me  with  all  the  painful  viv- 
idness of  reality. 


2-10  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

Listen,  tlion !  and  I  shall  make  known  the  nature  of 
this  cl»'<:>ad  occuiTonce. 

As  already  stated,  we  had  been  about  two  weeks  out 
to  sea,  with  a  favoring  wind  nearly  all  the  time,  and 
had  arrived  in  mid-Atlantic,  —  that  is,  about  half-way 
between  Cape  Palraas  in  Africa  and  the  most  easterly 
point  of  South  America,  —  of  course,  therefore,  we 
Avere  m^ny  hundreds  of  miles  from  either  shore. 

The  breeze  continued  fair,  for  we  were  sailing  under 
the  southern  trade-wind,  and  everything  seemed  to 
promise  a  quick  passage-  to  the  coast  of  Brazil.  I  was 
myself  gratified  at  our  progress,  for  I  looked  upon  every 
day  as  a  week  of  misery,  and  every  hour  a  day,  not 
only  to  myself,  but  to  the  poor  creatures  who  lived  only 
in  torments,  and  by  these  torments  daily  died.  Not 
daily,  but  hourly  I  might  almost  say,  were  they  dying ; 
and  the  plunge  of  their  bodies,  as  they  were  uncere- 
moniously tumbled  over  the  side,  had  become  of  as 
frequent  occurrence  as  the  ringing  of  the  watch  bells. 
Over  the  side  Avere  they  pitched  in  all  their  ghastly 
nakedness,  —  just  as  a  dead  dog  would  have  been 
thrown,  —  with  not  even  a  shot  or  a  stone  tied  to  them 
to  sink  their  corpses  below  the  surface  of  the  water. 
On  the  contrary,  many  of  their  bodies,  swollen  in  an 
unnatural  manner  after  death,  remained  upon  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea,  and  could  be  seen  in  our  wake  bobbing 
up  and  down  upon  the  Avaves  that  had  been  made  by 
the  keel  of  the  vessel  in  her  passage  thi-ough  the  Avater ! 
Never  for  a  very  long  period  was  this  aAvful  spectacle 
before  our  eyes.  Though  oft  repeated;  it  was  usually  a 
short  scene,  and  ended  in  an  abr'ipt  ?trife  among  the 


EAN   A-WAY    TO    SEA.  241 

monsters  of  the  deep,  amid  the  foam  and  spray  flung 
aloft  by  the  violent  strokes  of  their  tails,  until  a  cloud 
seemed  to  rest  over  the  spot,  concealing  the  hideous 
struggle  undei-neath.  Then,  as  this  cloud  slowly  set- 
tled away,  it  could  be  seen  that  a  human  form  was  no 
longer  there,  but  in  its  place  might  be  observed  some 
mangled  remains,  with  the  sail-like  fin  of  the  shark 
projected  above  the  surface  or  gliding  rapidly  through 
the  Avater. 

This,  at  first,  had  been  a  painful  spectacle  to  me, 
whilst,  incredible  to  relate,  it  aiforded  only  amusement 
to  the  crew  of  the  Pandora.  But  in  a  short  while,  it 
had  been  so  oft  repeated  that  it  ceased  to  interest  them 
even  as  a  momentary  diversion  ;  and  I  —  my  heart 
growing,  not  hardened,  I  hope,  but  only  practised  to 
bear  the  pain  —  was  less  every  day  touched  with  the 
hideous  spectacle. 

I  had  infinite  opportunities  of  observing  the  habits  of 
those  sea-monsters,  the  sharks.  Many  of  them,  I  have 
no  doubt,  had  followed  us  all  the  way  from  the  African 
coast,  for  there  were  several  with  whose  aspect  I  had 
grown  familiar,  from  having  noticed  them  day  after 
day.  Indeed,  several  of  them  were  marked  by  the 
cicatrices  of  old  wounds,  which  probably  they  had 
received  in  encounters  with  antagonists  of  their  own 
species,  or  in  battles  with  some  other  voracious  mon- 
sters of  the  deep.  By  these  scars  was  I  enabled  to 
distinguish  more  than  one  ;  and  I  am  certain  they  had 
followed  us  all  the  way,  for  I  had  noticed  some  of  the 
marked  individuals  as  we  sailed  out  of  the  Gulf  I 
had  observed,  too,  that  there  were  several  kinds   of 


242  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

them,  though  the  sailors  took  little  notice  of  the  dis- 
tinction, calling  them  all  by  their  ■well-kno-mi  charac- 
teristic name  of  "  sharks."  Indeed,  my  own  observa- 
tions of  them  were  not  very  minute  or  scientific.  I 
had  too  much  upon  my  mind,  as  well  as  upon  my 
hands,  to  direct  any  thoughts  beyond  the  boundaries 
of  the  vessel ;  and  it  was  only  at  intervals  that  I  gave 
any  attention  to  the  sea  or  its  finny  inhabitants.  One 
thing  I  could  not  help  observing,  and  that  was,  that  the 
number  of  the  sharks  had  daily  increased,  and  kept 
increasing ;  and  now,  at  the  end  of  two  weeks,  they 
could  be  seen  around  the  barque  in  dozens,  —  some- 
times gliding  across  her  course,  and  sometimes  running 
in  the  same  direction,  like  a  shoal  of  porpoises  !  At 
other  times  they  would  be  seen  all  around  the  vessel, 
looking  up  at  her  sides  as  though  they  would  leap 
aboard,  and  glaring  greedily  with  their  eyes,  like 
hungry  dogs  expecting  a  bone  to  be  thrown  them. 

To  one  not  accustomed  to  it,  it  would  have  been  a 
fearful  sight ;  but,  along  with  the  rest,  I  had  grown  so 
used  to  these  demonstrations,  that  I  could  look  ujion 
them  without  the  slightest  feehng  of  concern. 

But  to  return  to  the  relation  of  that  fearful  calamity 
I  have  promised  to  describe. 


KAN  AWAY   TO    SEA.  243 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

"We  were  In  the  middle  of  the  wide  Atlantic,  hun- 
dreds of  miles  from  any  land.  Let  this  fact  be  re- 
membered. 

One  morning  I  came  upon  deck  rather  later  than 
usual.  Most  generally  I  was  awakened  out  of  my 
sleep,  and  at  a  very  early  hour,  by  the  thundering 
voice  of  the  mate,  and  usually  either  with  an  oath  or  a 
rough  shaking,  —  the  latter  always  when  the  ruffian 
was  near  enough  to  administer  it. 

On  this  particular  morning,  for  what  reason  I  could 
not  divine,  I  was  permitted  to  lie  still  undisturbed ;  and 
taking  advantage  of  the  indulgence,  and,  indeed,  over- 
powered by  sleep,  of  which  I  never  had  enough,  I  lay 
still  and  slept  on. 

It  was  considerably  after  daylight  when  I  awoke. 
The  sun  was  shining  down  into  the  forecastle,  and  lit 
up  that  little  wooden  chamber  —  which  was  at  most 
times  as  dark  as  a  dungeon  —  with  unusual  brilliancy  ; 
and  I  could  see  distinctly  every  thing  and  every  person 
in  the  place.  Of  the  latter  there  were  only  two  or 
three.  The  bright  light  gushing  into  my  eyes  told  me 
that  I  had  overslept  myself,  and  that  it  was  far  past  the 
hour  at  which  I  should  have  been  on  deck  and  at  work. 
For  this  reason  the  first  idea  in  my  mind  Avas,  that  I 
was  in  for  a  rope's-ending  from  the  mate,  wliicli  Z, 


244  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

might  expect  as  soon  as  I  made  my  appearance  on  the 
quarter-deck. 

It  was  no  use,  however,  to  think  of  "  dodging  "  it.  I 
should  be  certain  to  get  it,  sooner  or  later ;  and  the 
sooner  the  better,  thought  I,  since  then  the  dread  of  it 
would  be  off  my  mind,  and  the  thing  would  be  over. 

Indulging  in  this  view  of  the  case,  I  slipped  on  my 
jacket  and  shoes,  (these  were  the  only  portions  of  my 
dress  I  ever  took  off,)  and,  nerving  myself  for  the  ex- 
pected punishment,  I  sprawled  up  the  ladder,  and, 
emerging  through  the  forecastle-hatch,  stood  upon  deck. 

On  reaching  the  deck  I  had  an  impression  that 
something  was  wrong  in  the  A^essel ;  indeed,  I  had  al- 
ready some  such  impression  before  coming  up.  There 
Avere  only  two  men  below  in  the  forecastle,  —  foreigners 
they  were,  —  and  they  were  conversing  in  their  own 
language,  which  I  did  not  understand ;  but  there  was 
something  in  the  expression  of  their  faces  that  struck 
me  forcibly.  Both  looked  gloomy,  though  excited,  and 
their  gesticulations,  as  they  talked  with  each  other,  led 
me  to  believe  that  they  were  discussing  some  serious 
event  that  had  either  happened,  or  was  about  to  happen, 
to  the  Pandora.  "  Perhaps,"  thought  I,  catching  hope 
with  the  thought,  "  j^erhaps  there  is  a  sail  in  sight,  — 
a  man-of-war  with  a  British  flag ;  perhaps  the  slaver  is 
being  chased." 

I  would  have  endeavored  to  communicate  with  the 
men,  and  ask  them  what  had  happened ;  but  they 
chanced  to  be  a  brace  of  morose  fellows  who  had 
always  shown  ill-will  toAvards  me,  and  I  refrained 
from  putting  any  questions  to  them.  I  should  find 
out  by  going  on  deck ;  and,  my  spirits  somewhat  light- 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  245 

ened  by  the  conjecture  I  bad  formed,  I  sprang  more 
cheerfully  up  the  steps. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  the  deck  my  impressions  were 
confirmed,  though  not  my  conjectures ;  for  almost  the 
first  thing  that  I  did  was  to  sweep  the  sea  with  my 
glance,  turning  all  around  as  I  looked.  No  sail  was 
in  sight.  It  was  almost  a  perfect  calm  upon  the 
water,  and  the  sky  Avas  blue  and  cloudless.  I  could 
have  seen  a  sail,  had  there  been  one,  at  the  distance 
of  many  miles ;  but  neither  sail  nor  spar  appeared 
between  the  barque  and  the  horizon's  verge. 

It  was  not  that,  then,  that  was  creating  the  ex- 
citement aboard ;  fur  I  now  saw  that  there  tvas  an 
excitement,  and  of  no  ordinary  kind. 

Both  mate  and  captain  were  upon  the  quarter- 
deck, storming  and  swearing,  while  sailors  were  hurry- 
ing to  and  fro,  some  plunging  down  the  open  hatch- 
ways, and  some  returning  up  them,  with  gloom  and 
ghastly  paleness  upon  their  faces  that  indicated  feel- 
ings of  alarm  and  terror ! 

I  noticed  several  water-butts  upon  the  deck,  that 
had  been  brouglit  freshly  from  the  hold.  ]\Ien  were 
grouped  around  them,  —  some  knocking  out  the  bungs, 
and  others  with  tin  dippers  suspended  upon  strings, 
plunging  them  into  the  holes,  and  apparently  gauging 
the  contents,  or  trying  the  water. 

One  and  all,  however,  apjieared  to  take  an  interest 
in  the  operations,  far  abo\e  what  they  would  have 
manifested  iu  any  ordinary  labor  of  the  vessel,  and  I 
could  tell  from  their  looks  and  gestures  that  some- 
thing very  sciious  was  on  the  (iqns.  "VMiat  it  was  I 
21* 


246  RAN    AWxVY    TO    SEA. 

could  not  guess.     I  fancied,  liowever,  that  it  was  some- 
thing connected  with  the  water. 

I  became  anxious  to  know  the  cause  of  this  strange, 
sudden  commotion.  I  looked  for  Brace,  but  could  not 
see  him.  Most  probably  he  was  down  below,  in  the 
hold  where  the  water-butts  were  kept,  —  for  this  seemed 
to  be  the  point  of  interest.  I,  therefore,  left  the  fore- 
deck,  and  stepped  forward  to  the  main-hatchwaj. 

I  was  now  close  to  the  mate.  He  saw  me,  but  took 
no  notice  of  me.  This  of  itself  was  strange  enough, 
and  I  now  felt  positively  convinced  that  some  serious 
event  had  arisen,  or  was  going  to  arise.  "What  could  it  be 
that  was  thus  to  save  me  from  the  expected  castigation  ? 
Something  of  great  import,  —  some  dread  danger ! 

I  looked  down  the  hatchway  for  Brace.  I  saw  him 
below,  far  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  busy  among 
the  great  casks,  rolling  them  over  one  another.  There 
were  others  along  with  him,  —  some  standing  by,  and 
some  helping  him.  Like  those  on  deck,  all  Avore 
gloomy  looks,  that  bespoke  feelings  of  doubt  mingled 
with  apprehension. 

I  could  endure  the  suspense  no  longer.  Only  wait- 
ing till  the  mate  turned  away  his  head,  I  glided  into 
the  open  hatchway,  and  descended  first  to  the  half- 
deck,  and  then  down  a  ladder  to  the  hold. 

I  scrambled  over  the  casks  until  I  was  close  to  my 
friend.  I  took  hold  of  him  by  the  sleeve  to  draw  his 
attention.     He  turned  round  as  I  did  so. 

"What  is  it,  Ben?"  I  inquired. 

"  Ugly  news,  "Will !  ugly  news  ! " 

""What  news?" 

"  The  water  he  out !  " 


RAX    AWAY    TO     SKA.  247 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 

I  ATAS  not  so  much  affected  by  tliis  laconic  piece  of 
intelligence,  as  I  might  have  been  had  I  known  moi'e 
of  the  sea  ;  and  pei-hajis  I  should  have  regarded  it  still 
less,  but  for  the  gloomy  glances  and  apprehensive  air 
of  those  around  me.  I  was  not  stunned  by  it  at  the 
first  announcement ;  but  it  was  not  long  before  I  became 
sufficiently  ahve  to  the  terrible  meaning  of  those  simple 
words,  —  "  The  water  be  out." 

Puzzled  by  the  ungi-ammatical  construction  of  the 
phrase,  you  are  probably  inquiring  what  it  meant.  I 
shall  tell  you. 

It  meant  that  all  the  fresh  water  on  board  the  Pan- 
dora had  been  used,  —  that  the  water-casks  were  empty, 
and  that  we  were  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
with  not  the  slightest  chance  of  obtaining  a  fresh 
supply,  —  that  it  would  be  weeks  before  we  could 
possibly  reach  land,  —  that,  under  the  burning  tropic 
sun  that  was  shining  constantly  down  upon  us,  one  week 
would  be  enough  for  thirst  to  do  its  work  ;  but  if  any 
should  survive  that  period,  then  a  second  week  would 
finish  them,  —  in  short,  within  two  weeks  one  and  all 
of  us  were  doomed  to  perish  !  Black  slaves  and  white 
masters,   tyrants   and   victims,    the    innocent   and   the 


248  TwAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

guilty,  must  all  succumb  to  the  same  fate,  —  every 
living  thing  on  board  the  Pandora  must  die  ! 

This  then  was  the  meaning  of  the  four  short  words 
that  were  muttered  so  despondingly  by  the  sailor. 
Words  of  dread  import  were  they,  a  phrase  of  fatal 
meaning. 

I  say  that  at  first  I  did  not  clearly  feel  the  full 
significance  of  the  information  given  me  by  Brace  ;  but 
a  very  little  reflection  enabled  me  to  comprehend  it ; 
and  I  soon  became  as  apprehensive  as  any  of  the 
others,  and  took  as  earnest  a  pai't  in  the  investigation 
that  was  going  forward. 

There  was  an  investigation,  and  it  was  about  this 
the  crew  of  the  Pandora  were  engaged.  It  Avas  not 
yet  clearly  made  out  that  the  casks  were  empty.  In 
fact  they  were  not,  —  not  half  of  them  were  so  ;  and  if 
it  had  been  a  simple  question  of  whether  empty  or  full, 
it  could  have  been  decided  at  once.  More  than  half  of 
them  were  full,  —  full  to  the  very  bung  ! 

But  of  what  were  they  full  ?  That  was  the  serious 
question.  Of  fresh  water  ?  No.  The  appalling  dis- 
covery that  had  been  made  was,  that  the  water  within 
them  was  salt !  in  fact,  water  out  of  the  sea  itself,  salt 
as  brine ! 

This  was  indeed  a  fearful  discovery ;  but  it  was 
easily  explained.  It  was  known  from  the  beginning 
that  these  butts  had  been  filled  with  salt  Avater,  —  to 
serve  as  ballast  on  the  out  voyage  from  England ;  and 
the  intention  had  been  to  empty  them  all  into  the 
African  river  and  substitute  fresh  water  instead.  It 
appeared  now  that  this  had  only  been  partially  done ! 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  249 

Various  explanations  were  offered  for  the  dangerous 
neglect.  Neither  captain  nor  mate  had  superintended 
the  duty.  Both  had  been  too  busy  in  bartering  and 
carousing  with  King  Dingo  Bingo,  and  his  boon  com- 
panions, —  and  the  irresponsible  hands  who  had  been 
set  about  the  work  were  half-drunk  while  executing  it ; 
many  of  the  casks  that  had  been  emptied  of  the  sea- 
water  were  found  to  have  been  only  partially  refilled ; 
and  it  was  also  discovered  that  more  than  half  of  the 
others  had  never  been  emptied  at  all !  Some  of  the 
crew  alleged  that  others  had  told  them,  that  these 
already  contained  fresh  water,  —  that  it  would  be  no 
use  bothering  about  them,  —  while  the  men  who  were 
named  as  having  given  this  assurance  now  stoutly  denied 
it.  Mutual  recriminations  took  place,  —  the  lie  was 
given  and  returned,  —  filthy  language  was  used  pro- 
fusely ;  and,  what  with  the  quarrelling  of  the  men,  and 
the  shouting  and  swearing  of  the  officers,  a  scene  was 
carried  on  that  might  have  rivalled  an  Irish  row  in  the 
infernal  regions. 

The  principal  reason  why  such  a  culpable  error  had 
been  committed,  —  and  this  all  hands  knew,  —  had 
been  the  appearance  of  the  cruiser.  She  had  caught 
them  at  their  work,  and  suddenly  put  a  stop  to  it. 

Had  she  not  arrived,  it  is  probable  enough  that  the 
men  —  however  idle  and  drunken  —  would  have  fin- 
ished their  woi-k  and  provided  water  enough  for  the 
voyage  ;  but  the  unexpected  api)earanoe  of  the  war-ship 
had  driven  all  ideas  of  the-water-caska  out  of  tlicir 
heads  ;  and  they  had  thought  only  of  shipping  the 
"  freight "  and  getting  out  of  the  river  as  speedily  as 
possible. 


250  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

In  reality  the  skipper  was  the  man  answerable  for 
the  whole  misfortune.  He  had  allowed  no  time  to 
complete  the  filling  of  the  casks ;  and,  indeed,  liad  he 
done  so,  he  would  never  have  set  sail,  but  must  have 
lost  both  his  barque  and  his  cai'go  in  the  river. 

It  is  probable  enough  he  had  never  thought  of  the 
other  horn  of  the  dilemma ;  indeed,  it  is  certain  he  had 
not,  —  else  he  would  long  before  have  discovered  the 
shortness  of  his  supply,  and  taken  some  means  to  remedy ' 
it.  ■  No  means  had  been  used  either  to  provide  more 
water,  or  to  economize  what  there  was.  Neither  crew 
nor  cargo  had  been  upon  rations  since  the  beginning  of 
the  voyage ;  water  had  been  dealt  out  to  all  as  freely 
and  lavishly  as  if  the  ocean  itself  had  been  a  fresh- 
water lake. 

I  watched  the  investigation  with  painful  forebodings. 
I  waited,  as  patiently  as  I  could,  for  the  result. 

The  rejjort  was  at  length  delivered  in  presence  of 
the  whole  crew.  Its  effect  was  like  that  of  an  electric 
shock  upon  all  of  them.  There  were  hut  two  casks  on 
board  that  contained  fresh  ivater,  and  these  were  o)d\j 
half -full! 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  251' 


CHAPTER    XLIY 


Yes,  —  two  half-casks,  or  one  whole  one  —  in  all, 
about  one  hundred  gallons  of  fresh  water  —  to  serve  for 
a  crew  of  forty  white  men  and  a  cargo  of  five  hundred 
black  ones  ;  to  serve  them  for  weeks  !  Why,  it  would 
not  be  a  single  day's  alloAvance,  —  far  less,  indeed,  —  it 
would  scarce  give  each  of  them  a  di'ink ! 

I  have  said,  that  the  announcement  as  to  the  quanti- 
ty of  water  remaining  produced  upon  the  crew  a  very 
marked  effect.  Up  to  this  time  they  had  been  in  a  state 
of  gloomy  apprehension,  —  still  not  without  hope  that 
among  the  many  casks,  whose  weight  proclaimed  them 
full,  they  would  find  a  few  containing  fresh  water.  All 
had  now  been  carefully  examined.  Every  bung  had 
been  taken  out,  and  the  contents  tasted ;  but  in  every 
case  disappointment  was  the  result.  Nothing  but  the 
bitter  brine  of  the  sea  was  found  inside. 

Every  one  of  them  had  been  examined  and  tried  by 
several  of  the  crew,  —  doubt  and  apprehension  were  at 
an  end.  The  truth  had  now  been  reached,  was  known 
to  a  certainty  by  all,  —  and  the  result  was  a  general 
paroxysm  of  despair. 

Rage,  too,  freely  exhibited  itself.  Some,  who  consid- 
ered themselves  innocent  of  having  brought  about  this 


252  RAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA. 

dilemma,  accused  and  recriminated  those  who  were  re- 
sponsible for  it ;  and  some  were  bold  enough  openly  to 
charge  the  captain  and  mate  with  the  neglect.  Muti- 
nous language  was  freely  used,  threats  uttered  aloud, 
and  for  a  while  all  discipline  appeared  to  have  departed 
fi-om  the  ship. 

After  a  long  time  spent  in  stormy  altercation  and  the 
profuse  exchange  of  oaths  and  menaces,  the  angry  tone 
died  away,  and  all  parties  began  to  assume  a  more 
pacific  bearing  towards  each  other.  The  common  dan- 
ger made  them  friends  again,  or  at  all  events  put  a  stop 
to  their  useless  hostility ;  and  at  length,  calming  down 
to  greater  moderation,  each  proceeded  to  offer  sugges- 
tions, or  listen  to  them,  about  what  measures  should  be 
adopted  under  the  circumstances. 

Of  course,  the  fix'st  idea  was,  that  the  water  should 
from  this  time  forth  bo  measured  out :  but  the  question 
was,  how  much  at  a  .time  ?  and  how  often  should  the 
rations  be  issued  ?  This  required  a  nice  calculation  to 
be  made  ;^  and  in  this  calculation  all  had  the  greatest 
interest.  If  too  large  a  quantity  were  to  be  allowed 
daily,  then  the  stock  might  be  exhausted  before  relief 
should  be  near,  and  they  must  perish  all  the  same. 
How  long  Avould  a  hundred  gallons  last  ?  and  at  what 
rate  might  they  use  it  ?  These  were  the  two  quesiioi^s 
of  imjDortance. 

These  calculations  were  easy  encugli.  There  wero 
just  forty  of  the  crew,  — ~  officers  included,  - —  and  these 
last  were  now  to  be  put  on  equal  rations  with  the  rest ; 
for,  in  this  crisis  of  peril,  the  government  of  the  Pandora 
had  suddenly  assumed  the  form  of  a  republic     Both 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  253 

captain  and  mate  had  lost  their  authority,  and  hereafter 
everything  was  to  be  conducted  on  the  commonweaUh 
system,  —  share  and  share  ahke. 

There  were  forty  then  in  all,  and,  as  near  as  could  be 
ascertained,  about  one  hundred  gallons  of  water. 

After  all,  the  prospect  was  not  so  bad,  —  so  thought 
they,  as  they  hurriedly  ran  over  the  calculation.  One 
hundred  gallons  to  forty  men  would  be  two  and  a  half 
gallons,  or  twenty  pints,  to  each  man,  —  which  would 
give  a  pint  a  day  for  twenty  days,  and  upon  a  pint  a 
day  they  could  subsist.  In  twenty  days,  and  less  time 
than  that,  they  were  confident  of  coming  within  sight  of 
land.  Even  should  they  not  reach  a  haven  before  the 
twenty  days  were  expired,  —  should  they  be  delayed  by 
calms,  or  contrary  winds,  they  might  reduce  the  ration 
still  lower,  and  by  so  doing  extend  the  time.  Half  a 
pint  a  day  would  enable  them  to  exist ;  and  even  far 
less  in  case  of  extreme  necessity.  After  all,  their  pros- 
pect was  not  so  perilous  as  they  had  at  fli'st  judged  it  to 
be,  and  tiiey  began  to  recover  from  the  shock  which 
they  had  received,  —  for  on  the  announcement  that 
there  was  only  one  hundred  gallons  left,  the  quantity 
had  appeared  as  nothing  to  them,  accustomed  as  they 
had  been  to  drinking  and  wasting  that  much  daily. 
The  calculation,  however,  showed  that  with  this  quan- 
tity they  might  make  shift  without  any  great  depriva- 
tion, until  land,  or  perhaps  a  ship,  might  appear  in  sight. 

With  regard  to  the  latter  contingency,  they  had  al- 
ready formed  a  purpose.  If  any  ship  came  in  view, — 
excepting,  of  course,  a  ship  of  war,  —  they  had  come  to 
the  determination  to  chase  and  boai"d  her ;  and  if  a  sup- 
22 


254  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

ply  of  water  was  denied  them,  they  would  take  it  from 
the  vessel  nolens  volens.  Perhaps  even  more  than 
water,  —  for  both  captain  and  crew  were  now  so  despe- 
rate that  they  would  not  have  stuck  at  anything  ;  very 
little  provocation  would  have  transformed  the  slaver  into 
a  pirate. 

Such  were  the  views  of  the  Pandora's  crew,  and  such 
their  determinations  in  regard  to  the  use  of  the  water. 
Each  man  was  to  be  allowed  a  pint  per  diem  ;  and,  in 
case  of  any  obstruction  that  might  prolong  the  voyage, 
the  ration  was  to  be  reduced  still  lower,  —  even  to  a 
single  glass  a  day,  if  this  should  become  necessary. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  255 


CHAPTER     XLV. 


DmiiNG  all  these  deliberations  not  one  word  was 
said  about  the  five  hundred  imfortunate  wretches  be- 
tween decks  !  It  is  a  question  whether  even  a  thought 
was  spent  upon  tliera,  except  by  myself,  perhaps  by 
Ben  Brace,  and  most  likely  the  captain  of  the  Pan- 
dora. But  if  the  skipper  thought  of  them,  it  was  from 
no  motives  of  humanity.  Profit  and  loss  were  the  only 
considerations  that  had  any  interest  for  him,  and  if  he 
was  thinking  of  the  poor  creatures  with  regret,  it  was 
not  any  regret  for  the  horrid  fate  they  were  likely  to 
meet  with,  but  solely  on  account  of  the  pecuniary  loss 
he  would  sustain  by  their  destruction  ! 

I  feel  certain  that,  up  to  the  moment  when  their 
future  plans  had  been  fully  discussed  and  agreed  upon, 
not  one  of  that  reckless  crew  had  given  thought  to  the 
situation  of  the  blacks.  Had  these  human  beings  been 
so  many  head  of  cattle,  they  could  not  have  entered 
less  into  the  calculations  that  had  been  made ;  for  they 
were  not  considered  at  all.  Not  one  drop  of  water  had 
been  apportioned  to  their  use.  No  suggestion  of  such 
a  thing  had  been  ofiered,  —  it  would  have  been  ridi- 
culed as  preposterous. 

It  was  only  after  everything  had  been  settled,  that 
mention  was  made  of  them.  Then  a  rough  fellow  cried 
out,  in  a  tone  of  mock  surprise,  that  smacked  of  a  dis' 


256  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

gusting  levity :  "  Thunder  an'  'oun's !  what 's  to  be 
done  with  the  niggers  ?  " 

"  Ay,  ay,"  shouted  several,  in  a  breath ;  "  what  is 
to  be  done  with  'em  ?  There  's  no  water  for  them,  — 
that's  sartin." 

"  Why,  what  can  be  done  ? "  responded  an  inhuman 
monster.     "  Chuck  'em  overboard  ! " 

"  Dunder  an'  blitz ! "  exclaimed  a  ferocious  German, 
who  appeared  pleased  with  the  idea ;  "  dhat  is  de 
besht  blan,  —  wees  not  can  do  petter  dhan  to  glear 
'em  out  from  de  sheep." 

"  Pe  Gar  /  "  cried  the  Frenchman,  Le  Gros,  "  it  be 
von  great  big  drown,  —  von  grand  splash  in  ze  vater ! 
Sacr-r-r-e  !  " 

I  cannot  describe  the  feelings  I  had  in  listening  to 
this  conversation.  These  men  were  actually  serious, 
and  yet  jesting.  It  is  almost  too  horrid  to  be  credible, 
and  yet  it  is  true ! 

But  they  were  serious,  —  I  knew  they  were,  —  and 
1  expected  every  minute  to  hear  that  this  horrible 
suggestion  was  adopted,  and  that  the  blacks  were  to 
be  thrown  overboard ! 

But  the  villains  were  not  unanimous ;  and  for  a 
length  of  time  they  continued  to  discuss  the  question 
in  the  same  half-serious,  half-jocular  way.  It  was 
a\vful  to  listen  to  that  inhuman  debate ! 

The  slave-captain's  wishes,  however,  were  opposed 
to  throwing  his  cargo  overboard;  and,  notwithstand- 
ing the  mutinous  disposition  of  the  men,  he  had  still 
authority  enough  to  carry  the  point.  He  was  obliged, 
however,  to  humiliate  himself  by  resorting  to  argument. 
His  speech  was  characteristic ;  and  throughout  the  whole 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  257 

of  it,  there  Avas  not  one  word  about  humanity.  lie 
alleged  that  the  niggers  could  only  die,  anyhow,  and 
a  few  days  could  make  no  difference  to  them.  Neither 
could  it  signify  to  them  (the  crew)  whether  the  blacks 
died  of  thirst  or  by  drowning.  They  could  throw 
them  overboard,  after  the  breath  was  out  of  them,  all 
the  same.  But  some  of  them  might  live  it  out.  He 
had  known  niggers  to  stand  it  a  long  while  without 
water,  —  they  could  hold  out  much  longer  than  white 
men,  —  for  in  this  respect  they  resembled  the  ostriches, 
camels,  and  other  animals  of  their  own  country,  that 
could  go  for  whole  weeks  without  drinking !  No  doubt 
many  of  them  would  die,  and  therefore  be  lost  to  him ; 
but  they  would  not  die  if  they  could  help  it,  and  there 
were  still  the  chances  that  a  good  many  would  stick  it 
out  (these  were  the  captain's  words)  till  they  had  made 
land,  or  overhauled  some  vessel ;  and  though  they 
might  be  pretty  far  gone  (another  phrase  of  the  speak- 
er), a  drink  of  water  Avould  set  their  stomachs  all  right 
again.     So  ran  the  ruffian  speech. 

He  further  proceeded  to  point  out  to  his  audience 
the  destitute  condition  that  he  and  they  would  be  in, 
should  they  reach  the  Brazilian  coast  without  a  cargo. 
There  would  be  no  bounty,  —  no  spending-money,  — 
nothing;  whereas,  if  they  could  only  get  there  with 
even  a  portion  of  the  negroes  alive,  —  even  one  out 
of  five  (a  hundred  out  of  the  whole  lot),  —  there  would 
still  be  a  large  sum  realized ;  and  he  ju'omised  that  he 
would  be  liberal  to  all  hands. 

It  was  absurd,  therefore,  to  talk  of  flinging  the  cargo 
overboard.     They  could   do   no  harm  as  they  were ; 
22  * 


258  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

there  could  arise  no  danger,  since  they  would  keep  the 
blacks  securely  under  hatches ;  and  therefore,  in  every 
way  it  was  better  to  let  these  hold  out  as  long  as  they 
could,  and  take  chance  of  bringing  some  of  them  to  a 
market.  Such  was  the  skipper's  speech ;  and  I  have 
followed  his  phraseology  as  nearly  as  I  remember  it. 
It  was  an  awful  harangue,  and  my  heart  sickened  within 
me  as  I  listened  to  it. 

Meanwhile,  the  ill-starred  victims  who  were  the  sub- 
ject of  these  deliberations  were,  happily  for  themselves, 
still  ignorant  of  the  horrid  fate  with  which  they  were 
threatened.  A  few  of  them,  whose  gaunt  faces  looked 
up  through  the  grating,  may  have  noticed  that  something 
was  amiss  ;  but,  ignorant  both  of  the  language  and  ways 
of  their  tyi'ant  jailers,  they  could  not  possibly  have 
known  the  danger  in  which  their  lives  were  now  placed. 

Alas  !  alas  !  they  would  soon  learn,  —  too  soon.  Soon 
would  they  experience  the  agony  of  thirst ;  soon  would 
they  feel  its  horrid  cravings. 

Even  at  that  moment  was  it  drawing  upon  them ; 
even  then  were  they  crying  for  water,  —  for,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  discovery  that  had  been  made,  their 
morning's  allowance  had  not  yet  been  served  to  them ; 
and  water  was  always  the  thing  they  seemed  most  to 
covet  and  desire.  Its  scarcity  was  to  them  their  great- 
est grief.  Even  at  that  moment,  as  I  passed  the  hatch- 
way, I  could  hear  them  calling  for  "  water,  —  water," 
some  in  their  native  tongue,  and  others  —  in  hopes  of 
being  better  understood  —  in  that  language  best  known 
along  the  African  coast,  —  the  Portuguese,  —  repeat- 
ing the  word,  '■'•Agoa!  agoa!" 


KAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  259 


CHAPTER    XL  VI. 

UxHAPPT  beings  I  I  shuddered  as  I  reflected  on  what 
was  before  them.  They  were  to  endure  thirst  in  all  its 
gradations.  —  from  the  simijle,  scarce  painful  longing 
for  water  —  which  most  of  them  already  felt  —  to  the 
extremest  agony  and  torture  which  that  appetite  can  in- 
flict. But  a  few  days  before,  I  had  myself  experienced 
thirst ;  but  what  signified  that  compared  to  what  they 
would  be  compelled  to  endure  ?  Simply  nothing,  —  a 
mere  foretaste,  that  enabled  me  to  judge  how  terribly 
painful  thirst  may  become.  Yes ;  I  shuddered  as  I 
reflected  on  what  was  before  them ! 

Little  did  I  di-eam  how  short  was  to  be  the  period  of 
their  endurance.  Little  thought  I,  as  I  paced  along 
the  deck  and  listened  to  their  cries  for  water,  that  their 
sufferings  from  thirst  would  soon  be  at  an  end. 

It  was  not  their  destiny  to  die  from  the  want  of 
water.  Alas !  a  far  more  horrible  doom  was  in  store 
for  them,  —  a  doom  that  I  almost  shudder  to  recount. 

As  the  day  advanced,  their  cries  for  water  —  "  Agoa ! 
agoa!"  —  became  more  frequent  and  plaintive.  There 
were  some  who  shouted  in  anger.  Wondering  why 
they  had  been  denied  their  customary  allowance,  there 
were  some  who  fancied  it  arose  either  frona  neglect  on 
the  part  of  their  white  tyrants,  —  whom  they  saw  mov- 


2C0  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

ing  about  perfectly  indifferent  to  their  entreaties,  —  or 
else  from  some  capricious  cruelty  to  torture  and  punisli 
them !  It  is  hard  to  say  what  might  have  been  their 
imaginings  ;  but  many  of  them  exhibited  symptoms  of 
fury  amounting  almost  to  frenzy.  They  approached  the 
grating  with  gestures  of  menace,  and  endeavored  by 
main  strength  to  force  the  strong  woodwork  from  olf 
the  hatch.  Some  gnashed  their  teeth  and  frothed  at 
the  lips ;  beating  their  breasts  with  clenched  fists,  and 
yelling  their  native  war-cries,  until  their  voices  echoed 
far  over  the  waters  ! 

To  all  these  demonstrations  the  crew  of  the  Pandora 
paid  no  heed,  —  except  that  two  sentries  instead  of  one 
wei'e  placed  over  the  hatchway,  where  the  male  portion 
of  the  slaves  were  confined.  This  precaution  was 
taken,  because  it  was  now  deemed  possible  that  the 
negroes  might  make  their  way  ujion  deck ;  and  should 
they  succeed  in  doing  so  in  their  infuriated  state,  woe 
to  the  white  men  who  had  hitherto  ruled  them ! 

Both  sticks  and  bayonets  were  used  freely  upon  the 
frantic  creatures,  until  the  carpenter  with  ready  tools 
had  strengthened  the  grating  and  battened  it  down,  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  its  being  raised  up,  or  broken, 
by  those  who  were  striving  underneath. 

What  added  to  the  sufferings  of  the  slaves,  as  also  to 
the  apprehension  of  the  Pandora's  crew,  was  that  the 
wind  had  suddenly  ceased,  and  it  had  fallen  to  a  dead 
calm. 

The  heat  of  the  sun,  no  longer  fanned  by  the  slight- 
est breeze,  had  grown  intolerable.  The  pitch  melted 
upon  the  ropes  and  in  the  seams  of  the  deck  j  and 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  2G1 

every  article,  whether  of  hemp,  wood,  or  iron,  was  as 
hot  as  if  taken  out  of  a  fire.  We  had  arrived  in  that 
part  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  known  among  Spanish  sea- 
men as  the  "  horse  latitudes,"  because  that  there,  during 
the  early  days  of  Spanish  adventure,  vessels  often  got 
becalmed,  and  their  cargoes  of  horses,  dying  of  the 
heat,  were  thrown  overboard  by  wholesale.  This  is 
one  of  the  explanations  given  for  the  singular  appella- 
tion, though  others  have  been  assigned. 

Into  the  "  horse  latitudes,"  then,  had  the  Pandora 
found  her  way;  and  the  complete  calm  into  which  the 
atmosphere  had  all  at  once  fallen  was  not  only  a  source 
of  suffei'ing  to  all  on  board,  but  to  the  sailors  an  object 
of  new  apprehension. 

On  first  discovering  the  shortness  of  the  supply  of 
water,  a  calm  sea  was  the  very  thing  they  had  most 
dreaded.  A  storm  they  feared  not  to  encounter. 
Through  that  —  even  though  the  wind  were  dead  ahead 
—  they  could  still  make  way  ;  but  in  a  calm  they  could 
do  nothing  but  lie  quiet  upon  the  hot  bosom  of  the  sleep- 
ing ocean,  wasting  their  days  and  hours,  —  wasting 
what  was  now  more  precious  than  all,  their  scanty 
supply  of  water. 

One  and  all  were  terrified  at  the  prospect.  They 
were  all  men  who  had  made  many  a  trip  across  the  line, 
and  had  run  the  torrid  zone  both  eastward  and  west- 
ward. They  could  read  well  the  indications  of  the  sky; 
and  from  its  present  appearance  most  of  them  foresaw, 
and  were  not  slow  to  foretell,  a  long  continued  calm. 
It  might  last  a  week,  perhaps  twice  or  three  times  as 
Ions.     Sometimes  there  is  a  month  of  such   windless 


262  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

weather  in  these  latitudes.  If  it  continued  only  for  the 
shortest  of  these  periods,  then,  indeed,  Avould  they  be  in 
danger,  and  no  wonder  they  were  freshly  apprehensive. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  his  disc  appeared  red  and 
fiery.  There  was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky,  —  not  a  curl 
upon  the  sea. 

It  was  the  last  time  that  sun  ever  shone  upon  the 
Pandora ;  when  morning  came,  that  bad,  but  beautiful 
barque,  was  a  wreck  upon  the  sea,  —  a  field  of  floating 
fragments ! 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  263 


CHAPTER    XLVII, 


You  desire  an  explanation  ?  You  wish  to  know  liow 
the  Pandora  was  destroyed  ? 

In  the  closing  passages  of  the  preceding  chapter,  I 
ran  ahead  of  my  narrative.     I  shall  now  return  to  it. 

The  night  came  down  still,  but  not  silent;  at  least 
not  silent  on  board  the  slave-ship.  The  cries  of  the  ill- 
fated  beings  below  still  loaded  the  air,  —  their  voices 
growing  hoarser  and  hoarser.  The  ruffians  might  cage 
their  bodies,  but  they  could  not  confine  their  tongues  ; 
and  ever  and  anon  rose  that  awful  din,  pealing  along 
the  decks,  and  echoing  far  out  over  the  still  bosom  of 
the  waters. 

It  seemed  at  length  to  grow  unendurable,  even  to  the 
men ;  and  those  who  had  before  advocated  throwing 
the  slaves  overboard,  once  more  proposed  adopting  this 
course.  The  unexpected  obstruction  from  the  calm 
now  added  force  to  their  arguments.  They  alleged 
that  there  was  no  chance  of  the  niggers  holding  out. 
They  would  all  be  dead  in  a  couple  of  days,  —  by  suf- 
focation as  well  as  thirst,  —  and  why  not  settle  the  busi- 
ness at  once  ?  They  had  now  to  look  out  sharply  for 
their  own  lives,  and  better  they  should  not  be  bothered 
any  longer  with  these  squalling  brutes.  (This  was  lit- 
erally the  language  of  one  of  those  who  advocated  the 


2G4  "    '  nAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

drowning  of  them.)  It  was  enough  to  drive  a  man 
mad  to  hear  them,  and  it  would  be  only  mercy  to  them 
(much  the  ruffian  cared  for  mercy)  to  make  short  work 
of  it,  and  then  the  poor  devils  would  have  it  over  at 
once.     This  was  the  compassionate  speech  of  one. 

Another  followed  in  a  like  strain,  and  said,  interroga- 
tively, "  After  all,  what  did  it  amount  to  ?  The  cargo 
was  not  such  a  great  matter  so  long  as  the  ship  was 
safe  ?  "What  signified  all  the  niggers  had  cost  ?  Wliat 
they  might  fetch  was  another  matter ;  but  a  man  could 
not  call  that  a  loss  which  he  had  never  had ;  and,  there- 
fore, all  the  loss  the  skipper  should  sustain  would  be 
the  original  outlay.  It  was  n't  a  million.  He  would 
soon  repair  the  damage.  Once  they  got  the  casks  filled, 
they  could  return  to  Africa,  and  King  Dingo  was  the 
man  to  find  them  a  fresh  cargo.  Perhaps  he  would  let 
them  have  it  on  credit,  if  they  could  n't  do  better  "  (at 
this  improbability  several  laughed)  ;  "  but  the  skipper 
need  not  go  a  begging  for  credit.  He  was  not  so  easily 
broken  up  as  that  came  to.  If  he  himself  was  short, 
he  had  friends  in  Brazil,  —  ay,  and  in  Portsmouth  too, 
— who  would  soon  find  him  the  rhino." 

The  speech  of  this  able  logician  turned  the  scale  and 
settled  the  question;  and,  despite  the  protestations  and 
entreaties  of  the  slave-captain  and  one  or  two  others,  it 
was  decided  that  the  negroes  should  he  thrown  over- 
hoard  ! 

A  fcAV  minutes  were  now  given  to  a  discussion  as  to 
the  mode  of  effecting  this  purpose ;  and  it  was  finally 
agreed  that  the  best  way  would  be  to  remove  a  single 
bar  from  the  grating,  —  so  that  only  one  of  the  victims 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  2G5 

could  come  up  at  a  time,  —  and  then,  taking  each  aft 
out  of  sight  of  the  hatchway,  so  that  they  might  not 
be  seen  by  the  others,  to  seize  one  after  another  and 
cast  them  into  the  sea,  whence  there  would  be  no  fear 
of  their  returning.  Doubtless  many  of  them  could  not 
swim  a  stroke,  and  those  that  could  would  not  swim 
long,  amidst  that  multitude  of  voracious  sharks  that 
were  beating  around  the  barque  ! 

The  ruse  of  thus  successively  destroying  the  wretched 
victims,  without  making  known  to  their  companions  be- 
low, originated  in  no  ideas  of  mercy,  —  it  was  a  thought 
that  sprang  from  simple  convenience.  The  monsters 
knew  that  if  those  below  were  to  get  wind  of  the  fate 
that  awaited  them  above,  they  would  no  longer  come 
on  deck  ;  and  to  have  gone  down  amongst  them  to  bring 
them  up  would  have  given  trouble,  and  might  have 
been  attended  with  danger. 

It  was  heart-breaking  to  listen  to  the  details  of  their 
plan,  and  know  that  I  could  neither  obstruct  nor  pre- 
vent it.  Had  I  put  in  my  voice,  either  to  appeal  or 
protect  the  unfortunates,  it  is  likely  enough  I  should 
have  been  myself  the  first  morsel  given  to  the  sharks. 
I  could  do  naught  but  suffer  in  silence. 

Indeed,  I  am  not  sure,  had  it  been  in  my  power  at 
that  moment  to  prevent  them  from  carrying  out  their 
design,  whether  it  would  have  been  right  to  interfere. 
Clearly  it  would  not  have  served  the  cause  of  humanity. 
A  death  of  some  kind  was  certainly  in  store  for  these 
ill-starred  beings,  —  either  a  slow,  lingering  death  by 
the  torture  of  thirst,  or  one  more  rapid  and  far  less 
cruel,  such  as  that  they  were  about  to  undergo.  It 
23 


2GG  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

might  have  been  humanity  to  leave  the  ruffians  to  carry 
out  their  intent,  and  shorten  the  sufferings  of  their  black 
victims  by  the  easier  death  of  drowning. 

I  had  such  a  reflection  at  the  moment,  but  I  had  no 
time  to  dwell  upon  it,  for  just  then  a  rush  of  men 
towards  the  slave-hatchway  told  me  that  the  monsters 
were  actually  on  the  way  to  carry  out  their  diabolical 
•purpose !  > 

They  were  on  their  way,  and  would  have  proceeded 
in  their  intent.  The  carpenter  was  there  with  his  axe 
to  strike  off  one  of  the  bars  of  the  grating,  —  he  had 
already  given  a  blow  on  the  batten,  another  would  have 
been  enough,  —  and  then  the  horrid  scene  would  have 
begun  ;  but  at  that  moment  a  cry  came  from  the  after- 
part  of  the  vessel  that  caused  the  carpenter  to  suspend 
his  work,  and  look  up  in  dismay.  Those  who  surround- 
ed him  were  startled  as  well  as  he,  and  all  looked  afifc 
with  terror  painted  in  their  faces.  One  and  all  were 
terrified  by  that  cry,  and  no  wonder  they  were,  —  it 
was  the  cry  of  "fii'e  !  "     The  ship  was  onjire! 


EAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  2G7 


CHAPTER     XL  VIII, 


At  this  cry  aU  hands  rushed  toward  the  after-part  of 
the  vessel.     I  ran  with  the  rest. 

On  reaching  the  quarter-deck  we  found  the  bkxck 
cook,  "  Snowball,"  in  the  hands  of  the  captain  and  mate, 
who  were  beating  him  with  thick  ropes,  and  causing 
him  to  "  sing  out "  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  Both  were 
excited  and  angry,  —  swearing  loudly  as  they  struck 
the  blows,  —  and  already  the  man's  back  exhibited  the 
keenness  of  their  vengeance. 

Some  of  the  sailors  —  still  apprehensive  about  the 
cry  of  fire  which  they  had  heard  —  demanded  an  ex- 
planation, which  was  immediately  given.  "  Snowball " 
had  gone  down  to  the  store-room  under  the  main-cabin, 
—  for  the  purpose  of  d^a^^^ng  brandy  from  a  large 
cask  of  this  spirit  that  was  kept  there.  The  only 
access  to  the  store-room  was  through  a  small  hatch  in 
the  floor  of  the  cabin  itself;  and,  as  it  was  bulk-headed 
off  from  the  rest  of  the  hold,  of  course  the  place  was 
quite  dark.  For  this  reason  the  cook  had  oarricd  with 
him,  as  he  always  did  on  such  occasions,  a  lighted 
candle. 

It  was  not  clearly  explained  how  he  had  misman- 
aged,—  for  the  black  as  well  as  most  of  the  crow  of 
the  Pandora  were,  ever  since  the  discovery  about  tli' 


2C8  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

water,  in  a  state  of  half-intoxication.  Even  at  that 
moment  it  was  evident  that  both  mate  and  captain  were 
nearly  drunk,  and  gave  but  half-coherent  replies  to  the 
eager  inquiries  of  the  men,  —  who  were  still  under 
apprehensions  from  the  cries  of  fire  that  had  summoned 
them  aft. 

The  accident  was  afterwards  explained  by  "  Snow- 
ball" himself.  It  appeared  that  the  brandy-cask  was 
without  a  regular  tap,  or  stopcock,  and  that  the  cook 
was  in  the  habit  of  drawing  the  liquor  through  the 
bunghole,  by  means  of  an  oi'dinary  dipper.  Somehow 
or  other,  —  of  course  through  the  black's  drunken  neg- 
ligence,—  the  burning  candle  had  slipped  from  his 
fingers,  and  dropped  right  into  the  bunghole ;  and, 
quick  as  a  flash,  the  spirit  had  caught  fire,  and  smoke 
and  flame  issued  in  volumes  through  the  hole. 

At  first  the  cook,  dreading  chastisement,  resolved 
not  to  make  any  alarm  ;  but,  coming  on  deck,  provided 
himself  as  quickly  as  he  could  with  a  bucket  of  water. 
With  this  he  returned,  and,  pouring  the  water  into  the 
cask,  endeavored  by  such  means  to  stifle  the  flames. 
It  Avas  all  to  no  purpose,  —  the  blue  blaze  flickered 
upward  as  before,  —  each  instant  becoming  stronger,  as 
the  brandy  itself  grew  hotter  and  more  of  the  spirit 
caught  the  fire. 

It  appeared  that  the  cook  had  made  several  journeys 
back  and  forward  from  the  store-room  to  the  deck, 
before  confessing  to  what  had  occurred,  or  warning 
any  one  of  the  peril  in  which  the  vessel  was  placed. 

At  length,  however,  his  frequent  passing  to  and  fro 
with  the  water-bucket  attracted  the  attention   of  the 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  269 

mate  ;  and  tlien  the  discoveiy  was  made  that  the  brandy 
was  on  fire ;  for  the  black  was  now  forced  to  confess 
the  truth. 

Then  it  was  that  the  cry  of  fire  was  raised  which 
had  called  the  crew  away  from  their  demon  purpose. 

From  the  behavior  of  the  captain  and  his  mate,  it 
might  have  been  supposed  that  the  fire  had  been 
extinguished ;  and,  for  a  time,  such  was  the  belief. 
Surely,  before  setting  on  to  belabor  the  culprit  as  they 
were  doing,  they  had  seen  that  the  fire  was  out  ?  Such 
would  have  been  the  natural  conclusion,  and  so  every 
one  judged.  It  soon  came  out  that  they  judged  wTongly, 
The  two  officers  Avere  half-mad  with  drink  and  rage ; 
and,  without  attempting  to  get  the  fire  under,  they  had 
set  upon  the  black  and  were  expending  their  anger  in 
blows,  while  the  latter  kept  howling  at  the  top  of  hia 
voice,  mingling  with  his  cries  for  mercy  the  more 
startling  cry  of  "  fire  !  "  It  was  this  that  had  so  sud- 
denly alarmed  the  crew. 

Was  the  fire  out?  or  was  it  still  burning?  These 
were  the  questions  that  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth  in 
quick  and  apprehensive  utterance. 

As  soon  as  it  was  ascertained  where  it  had  occurred, 
a  rush  was  made  into  the  cabin,  —  the  men  crowding 
together  through  the  entrance,  and  treading  upon  one 
another's  heels  in  their  haste  to  be  assured  of  the  truth 
and  relieved  of  the  terrible  suspense,  —  for  there  is  no 
calamity  on  board  a  ship  so  much  dreaded  as  fire. 

The  suspense  of  the  Pandora's  crew  was  not  of  long 
duration.  It  became  certainty,  —  a  certainty  that  the 
fire  was  not  yet  extinguished !  On  entering  the  cabin, 
23* 


270  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

they  saw  this  at  a  glance.  Thick  sulphureous  smoke 
was  rising  through  the  open  hatchway,  and  the  cabin 
was  already  filled  with  it.  There  must  be  fire  to  pro- 
duce such  a  smoke,  and  fire  still  alive  and  active,  for 
it  was  not  the  smoke  of  a  fire  that  had  been  lately 
extinguished !  No ;  it  was  still  alive,  —  still  burning, 
still  spreading  and  increasing !  That  was  evident  to 
all  as  soon  as  they  entered  the  cabin,  and  saw  the 
smoke  issuing  up  through  the  hatchway. 

But  if  there  remained  any  doubt  on  the  mind  of  any 
one  it  was  soon  removed ;  for  at  that  moment  a  loud 
explosion  was  heard  in  the  store-room  below,  —  like  a 
blank-shot  or  the  bursting  of  a  steam-boiler,  —  and, 
almost  simultaneous  with  the  report,  a  gush  of  thick 
vapor,  mingled  with  blue  flame,  came  rushing  up  the 
hatchway. 


KAN    A^^'.VY    TO    SEA.  271 


CHAPTER    XLIX. 


It  needed  no  conjurer  to  explain  that  report.  Every 
one  kneAV  what  it  meant.  It  was  caused  hy  the  ex- 
ploding of  the  strong  iron-bound  cask,  —  burst  open  by 
the  gas  engendered  by  the  fire  Avithin.  Of  course  the 
spirit  was  now  spilled  over  the  floor  of  the  store-room 
and  everywhere  on  fire ;  so  that  every  combustible 
article  within  reach  —  and  of  these  there  were  many 
—  would  soon  catch  the  flame.  There  were  dry 
barrels  of  biscuits,  and  quantities  of  bacon,  hams,  wdth 
lard,  oil,  and  butter.  It  was  remembered  that  there 
Avas  a  barrel  of  pitch,  too,  close  to  where  the  brandy- 
cask  had  been  kept.  All  these  would  catch  freely  and 
burn  rapidly  and  readily,  —  especially  the  barrel  o^ 
pitch,  the  head  of  which  was  open.  It  was  thought 
there  was  no  gunpowder,  —  for,  although  there  IkkA 
been  a  large  quantity  of  coarse  blasting-powder  aboard, 
it  was  part  of  the  original  freight,  and  had  all  been 
delivered  to  King  Dingo  Bingo  in  exchange  for  the 
slaves.  So  at  least  was  it  supposed  at  the  time,  and 
this  hypothesis  served  a  useful  purpose,  —  since  it 
enabled  the  crew  to  act  with  more  coolness  than  they 
would  otherwise  have  done.  Thei'e  is  no  situation  more 
calculated  to  destroy  presence  of  mind  than  to  be 
aboard  a  ship  on  fire,  and  to  know  that  somewhere 
among  the  flames  there  is  a  barrel  of  powder. 


272  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

Of  course  tlie  crew  of  the  Pandora  did  not  stand  idle 
or  inactive.  They  ran  in  every  direction  in  search  of 
means  to  extinguish  the  fire.  Buckets  were  collected 
from  all  parts  of  the  deck,  and  water  was  procured 
from  the  pumps  and  over  the  sides.  This  was  heaved 
down  the  hatchway  of  the  store-room,  —  bucketful  after 
bucketful,  —  but  apparently  without  effecting  any  good 
purpose.  Still  the  flames  raged  and  the  water  did  not 
reach  them  ;  at  all  events,  it  failed  to  extinguish  them. 

Of  course  no  one  dared  venture  below.  The  smoke 
and  fire  forbade  it,  —  any  attempt  to  go  down  would 
have  been  a  rash  sacrifice  of  life,  and  no  one  thought  of 
making  it. 

For  nearly  ten  minutes  the  men  continued  to  draw 
water,  and  dash  it  in  bucketsful  down  the  hatchway ; 
but  all  to  no  purpose.  The  fire  gained  strength.  The 
smoke  grew  thicker,  and  hotter,  from  the  pitch  and 
other  combustible  substances  that  had  now  evidently 
caught  the  flames.  It  poured  up  in  vast  volumes  till 
the  cabin  became  filled.  It  was  no  longer  possible  to 
approach  the  hatchway,  no  longer  possible  even  to 
enter  the  cabin.  One  or  two  who  ventured  in  were 
half  stifled  before  they  had  gone  six  feet  inside,  and 
came  reeling  back  like  men  who  were  drunk  ! 

The  buckets  were  thrown  aside.  They  could  no 
longer  be  of  service,  —  as  no  one  could  get  near  the 
hatchway  to  pass  water  down  it,  and  it  was  of  no  use 
throwing  it  elsewhere. 

But  the  hour  of  despair  had  not  yet  arrived.  Sailors 
are  men  who  rarely  yield  to  despair ;  at  all  events,  not 
while  the  slightest  chance  remains  to  beget  hope  ;  and, 
bad  as  may  have  been  their  moral  character,  the  crew 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  273 

of  the  Pandora  were  not  cowards.  Linked  with  a 
thousand  crimes  they  had  the  one  virtue  of  courage,  — 
though  brute  courage  it  may  have  been. 

Not  yet  did  they  despair.  Other  resources  were  now 
thought  of.  A  piece  of  hose  was  attached  to  the  spout 
of  the  pump,  and  cai'ried  to  the  door  of  the  cabin  ;  and 
by  means  of  this,  water  was  still  poured  in. 

But  this  contrivance  proved  unavailing.  The  mouth 
of  the  hose  could  not  be  got  into  the  hatch,  as  it  was 
impossible  any  longer  to  enter  the  cabin,  and  the  water 
was  spilled  on  the  floor.  It  so  chanced  that  the  stern 
of  the  vessel  sat  high.  The  casks  that  had  been  emp- 
tied were  all  in  the  after-hold,  while  the  full  ones  con- 
taining the  sea-water  were  stowed  forward.  Hence 
the  barque  was  higher  abaft  than  at  the  bows.  For 
this  reason  the  water  thrown  upon  the  cabin  floor  by 
means  of  the  hose-pipe,  instead  of  remaining  there, 
came  running  back  towards  the  gangways  as  fast  as  it 
was  poured  in. 

This  produced  a  new  consternation  ;  for  the  men  had 
conceived  hopes,  that,  after  deluging  the  cabin  from  the 
pumps,  the  water  would  run  through  the  open  hatch 
and  then  extinguish  the  fire  below. 

As  soon  as  it  was  perceived  that  this  purpose  could 
not  be  accomplished,  then,  indeed,  did  symptoms  of 
despair  make  their  appearance  upon  the  faces  of  the 
crew ;  and  they  began  to  turn  their  eyes  upon  one 
another  with  glances  of  interrogation,  and  looks  that 
proclaimed  the  knowledge  that  their  plan  had  proved  a 
failure.  No  one  had  the  courage  to  say  so,  and  the 
pumping  went  on,  —  though  it  was  evident,  from  the 
glowness  of  the  motion  and  the  want  of  energy  exhib- 


274  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

ited,  that  the  men  who  were  working  the  handle  were 
exerting  themselves  only  Avith  a  sort  of  mechanical 
effort  that  would  soon  yield  to  despondency  and  despair. 

And  so  it  yielded.  Without  any  one  saying  a  word, 
all  seemed  tacitly  to  have  arrived  at  the  same  conclu-  " 
sion,  —  that  their  efforts  were  idle  ;  and  all  at  once  the 
pumping  was  suspended,  the  handle  was  dropped,  the 
hose-pipe  lay  flattened  along  the  deck,  and  the  water 
ceased  to  flow  !  ► 

By  this  time  the  whole  after-part  of  the  vessel  was 
shrouded  in  smoke  that  had  been  oozing  out  from  the 
door  and  windows  of  the  cabin,  and  which,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  stillness  of  the  night,  was  not  carried 
away.  Slowly  it  ascended  into  the  air,  and  so  straight 
upwards  that  the  edge  of  the  cloud  had  not  yet  ap- 
proached the  main-deck,  —  although  the  whole  of  the 
mizzen-mast  was  enveloped  by  the  thick  smoke  and 
invisible  to  its  very  peak.  Most  of  the  quarter-deck 
was  covered,  and  the  cabin  was  now  completely  hid- 
den from  view  by  the  vapory  volume  that  clustered 
above  and  around  it.  As  yet  there  were  no  flames  to 
be  seen,  but  the  hissing,  crackling  sound  coming  up 
from  below  at  intervals  fell  upon  the  ear,  and  told  that 
the  fierce  element  was  still  raging  there,  and  would 
soon  exhibit  itself  in  all  its  red  and  terrific  splendor. 

No  one  waited  to  watch  its  progress.  No  longer  did 
any  one  think  of  attempting  to  extinguish,  or  even  to 
check,  the  fierce  destroyer.  All  hopes  of  saving  the 
vessel  were  given  up  ;  the  Pandora  must  be  abandoned ; 
and  now  was  heard  that  heart-thrilling  summons  to  the 
sailor,  —  that  last  despairing  cry,  — 

"  To  the  boats  !  to  the  boats  !  " 


RAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  275 


CHAPTER    L, 


There  were  tliree  boats  belonging  to  the  barque 
Pandora.  They  were  the  "  long-boat,"  the  "  pinnace," 
and  the  "  captain's  gig."  These  -would  have  been 
enough  to  have  carried  the  whole  crew,  —  indeed,  the 
long-boat  herself  would  have  contained  all  hands,  or 
nearly.  Thirty  was  reckoned  her  full  complement, 
though,  in  a  case  of  distress,  forty  persons  might  have 
found  room  in  her,  and  she  would  have  floated  with 
that  number,  though  not  in  a  rough  sea.  She  had  been 
a  good  boat  in  her  time,  but  was  now  old  and  worn,  and 
there  was  a  rotten  plank  or  two  among  her  timbers. 
She  Avas  not  the  boat  originally  made  for  the  Pan- 
dora. This  had  been  lost  in  a  gale  ;  and  the  one  now 
aboard  Avas  an  old  weather  and  water-worn  veteran, 
hurriedly  obtained  for  the  voyage.  The  pinnace  Avould 
have  carried  some  fifteen  men,  had  she  been  fit  to  go 
into  the  water,  which  she  was  not.  She  had  met  with 
an  accident  while  in  the  river,  and  had  not  yet  been 
repaired.  She  was  not  slung  at  that  moment,  but  lying 
in  the  scuppers  along  the  main-deck,  where  the  carpen- 
ter had  for  days  past  been  repairing  her.  The  repairs, 
however,  were  not  completed,  and  the  boat  could  not  go 
to  sea.  The  long-boat  and  gig,  then,  must  take  the 
whole   crew ;    and  it   was   agreed    that  twenty-eight 


276  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

should  get  into  the  former,  while  the  remaining  twelve 
could  be  stowed  in  the  gig. 

Of  course  this  agreement  was  made  by  a  kind  of 
rambling  general  consent,  —  for  there  was  no  delibera- 
tion about  anything,  the  whole  crew  being  now  half 
mad  with  haste  and  excitement. 

A  large  number  of  the  men  had  rushed  at  once 
towards  the  long-boat,  and  there  I  followed  them.  They 
soon  swarmed  up  to  the  bulwarks,  and  set  to  work  to 
poise  the  davits  outward,  and  get  the  rigging  in  order 
for  lowering  the  boats.  I  did  not  see  Brace  among 
them ;  and  fancying  he  might  have  gone  with  a  party 
towards  the  gig,  I  started  aft  to  find  him,  —  as  it  was 
my  intention  to  go  in  whatever  boat  carried  him.  The 
gig  was  suspended  at  the  stem,  just  under  the  taffrail ; 
and  to  reach  this  point  I  had  to  pass  through  the  smoke 
that  enveloped  the  cabin.  But  although  the  atmosphere 
seemed  perfectly  stagnant,  the  cloud  of  smoke  leant  a 
little  towards  the  larboard  side,  and  on  the  opposite,  or 
starboard  side,  the  way  was  partially  clear.  I  had  ob- 
served one  or  more  persons  glide  through  towards  the 
stern,  and  I  followed  them. 

On  arriving  upon  the  poop,  I  saw  that  there  were 
five  or  six  persons  there,  engaged  in  launching  the  gig. 
They  were  working  Avith  all  their  might,  and  apparently 
hurried  by  some  extreme  apprehension  of  terror.  Three 
of  them  I  recognized  as  the  captain,  mate,  and  carpen-. 
ter,  and  the  otliers  were  men  noted  as  their  allies  and 
firm  friends.  They  had  already  lowered  the  boat  near- 
ly to  the  water ;  and  just  as  I  looked  over  the  taffrail  I 
heard  the  plash,  as  her  keel  dipped  into  the  sea.    I  saw 


BAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  277 

that  there  were  some  articles  —  the  compass,  witli 
charts,  and  a  few  other  things  like  boxes  or  barrels  — 
already  lying  in  the  boat ;  but  as  yet  none  of  the  men 
had  got  into  her. 

On  glancing  at  those  who  were  around,  I  perceived 
that  my  friend  was  not  among  them  ;  and  I  was  turn- 
ing to  go  back  towards  the  main-deck,  when  all  at  once 
the  six  men  who  had  lowered  the  gig  —  I  now  saw 
there  were  but  six  —  passed  suddenly  over  the  taffrail, 
and,  gliding  down  the  davit-tackle,  dropped  into  the  boat. 

Surely,  thought  I,  they  are  not  going  to  row  off  with- 
out their  full  complement  of  twelve?  That  was  the 
iniderstanding,  and  it  was  further  agreed  that  all  hands 
should  help  in  lowering  the  long-boat  before  the  gig 
should  be  launched ;  the  latter,  being  small  and  light, 
could  be  got  into  the  water  in  a  few  seconds  of  time, 
and  half  a  dozen  men  would  be  enough ;  whereas, 
launching  the  great  long-boat,  getting  her  over  the 
bulwarks,  and  then  lowering  her  safely  into  the  sea, 
was  a  work  that  required  both  time  and  the  help  of  all 
hands. 

That  all  were  to  assist  in  it  had  been  specially  ar- 
ranged, in  the  hurried  consultation  Avhich  had  been 
held  after  the  cry  had  arisen,  "  To  the  boats  !  " 

Xo  doubt  that  those  now  engaged  about  the  long- 
boat supposed  tliat  all  hands  were  there  ;  for  in  a  crowd 
of  forty  men  the  absence  of  five  or  six  is  not  readily 
noticed,  and  as  it  was  no  longer  daylight,  the  faces  of 
none  could  be  easily  distinguished.  The  mate  and  cap- 
tain would  not  have  been  missed  more  than  any  otht'rs. 
Theu"  authority  existed  no  longer,  and  their  silly  be- 
24 


278  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

havior  in  belaboring  the  cook,  when  they  should  have 
been  using  the  time  to  better  advantage  by  endeavoring 
to  stifle  the  fire,  had  led  to  the  belief  that  both  were 
"  half-seas  over,"  and  therefore  no  attention  had  been 
afterwards  paid  to  any  orders  from  either  of  them. 

It  was  they  and  tlie  four  men  with  them  I  had  ob- 
served passing  abaft  as  I  was  looking  for  Ben,  and  I 
thought  at  the  time  that  they  were  skulking,  as  if  they 
did  not  wish  to  be  seen ! 

As  I  stood  upon  the  poop,  this  conjecture  was  con- 
firmed. The  six  were  evidently  about  to  steal  the  gig 
away,  without  waiting  for  the  others  she  was  to  have 
carried. 

I  was  irresolute  how  to  act.  I  could  not  myself  pre- 
vent tliem.  Kemonstrance  from  me  would  have  been 
laughed  at,  and  I  had  not  the  strength  to  stay  them. 
To  call  out  Avould  have  been  of  no  use.  The  sound  of 
tlie  fire  roaring  and  crackling  below,  the  hoarse  shout- 
ing of  the  men  themselves,  the  yells  and  vociferations 
of  the  slaves  forward,  produced  a  medley  of  noises 
amidst  which  my  cries  would  not  have  been  heard,  or, 
at  all  events,  their  object  would  not  have  been  under- 
stood. 

Another  thing,  —  it  was  too  late  to  create  any  noise 
about  it ;  for  before  I  could  make  up  my  mind  to  do 
one  thing  or  the  other,  —  either  to  cry  out  or  run  back, 
—  the  gig  was  resting  on  the  Avater,  the  six  runaways 
had  dropped  into  her,  and  the  next  moment  had  cut  the 
davit-tackle  and  set  the  boat  free ! 

They  appeared  to  act  with  extreme  haste,  —  as  if 
they  apprehended  being  hindered  from  getting  off,  or 


RAN   AAVAY    TO    SEA.  279 

were  afraid  that  more  would  come  np  and  leap  in  along 
with  them  so  as  to  overload  the  boat. 

I  could  not  comprehend  why  they  were  in  such  a 
desperate  hurry.  There  could  be  no  danger  of  the  gig 
being  overloaded,  —  as  it  was  agreed  she  should  only 
take  twelve,  —  and  I  knew  that  most  of  the  crew  would 
far  prefer  to  go  by  the  long-boat ;  moreover,  there  Avas 
as  yet  no  danger  from  the  fire,,  for,  although  smoke  was 
oozing  out  by  the  binnacle,  it  would  be  a  good  while 
before  this  part  could  be  ablaze.  There  was  no  one 
by  the  wheel.  The  perfect  calm  that  had  continued 
since  near  morning  rendered  a  steersman  superfluous, 
and  the  wheel  stood  idle  and  neglected.  The  compass 
was  gone.  It  was  it  I  had  observed  in  the  bottom  of 
tlie  boat. 

I  could  not  comprehend  then  why  the  captain  and 
his  five  associates  were  in  such  a  way  to  be  off,  and 
thus  desert  the  rest  of  their  comrades  in  misfortune. 
Tiiere  was  some  mystery  in  it. 

There  was  a  mystery,  which  in  another  moment  was 
cleared  up,  and  by  tlie  dastardly  skipper  liimself. 

I  was  still  standing  by  the  taffrail,  when  the  davit- 
tackle  was  cut,  and  saw  the  gig-oars  shoved  out  and 
ready  to  pull  away.  The  skipper  himself  grasped  an 
oar.  At  that  moment  he  looked  up  and  noticed  me. 
lie  half  rose  from  his  seat,  and  in  drunken  accents  hic- 
cuped  out :  — 

"Ahoy,  there! — you  boy,  Bill!  —  tell  'eiu  t'  look 
sharp  —  hiccup  —  in  getting  out  longb't,  —  sharp,  d' y' 
hear.       L'em  be  quick  about    it,  —  quic,  —  liiccup, — 

for  by  !  —  hiccu[),  —  there 's   a   barrel  of  pow  — 

hiccuj)  — poiodcr  aloardJ  " 


280  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


bllAPTER     LI. 

The  astounding  intelligence,  conveyed  by  the  final 
sentence  of  this  staggering  speech,  deprived  me  for  the 
moment  of  the  power  of  motion. 

"  A  barrel  of  powder  aboard!  "  These  were  his 
very  words,  and  I  had  no  reason  to  doubt  that  they 
were  true.  On  the  contrary,  his  behavior,  and  that 
of  those  who  were  with  him,  went  far  to  prove  their 
truth.  On  no  other  supposition  could  I  account  for 
their  haste  to  be  gone ;  but  the  hypothesis  of  the  pow- 
der at  once  explained  it.  Beyond  a  doubt  the  speech 
was  true.  There  was  a  barrel  of  powder  aboard ! 
Both  he  and  the  mate  were  aware  of  it. 

The  dastards  had  made  a  sort  of  compromise  with 
their  consciences  in  now  declaring  it.  They  had  pre- 
served silence  about  it,  until  they  were  themselves  safe. 
If  they  had  divulged  the  secret  sooner,  the  whole  crew 
might  have  followed  them  into  the  gig,  —  dreading  to 
stay  any  longer  on  board,  —  and,  therefore,  they  might 
not  have  got  off  so  snugly.  Now,  however,  that  they 
were  themselves  beyond  danger,  there  could  be  no 
harm  in  letting  the  others  know  it,  as  it  might  quicken 
their  efforts  at  escape.  Of  course  they  did  not  desii-e 
to  see  their  old  associates  blown  into  the  air,  —  if  it 
could  be  helped  without  any  risk  to  themselves,  —  but 


RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA.  281 

tliey  had  taken  good  care  to  remove  the  risk,  before 
offering  any  hint  about  the  probable  catastrophe. 

The  skipper,  as  soon  as  he  had  given  utterance  to 
the  appalling  speech,  sank  back  upon  his  seat;  and, 
pulling  along  with  the  rest,  the  gig  moved  rapidly  away. 

I  say  that  the  astounding  intelligence  deprived  me 
of  the  power  of  motion,  and  equally  so  of  speech.  It 
occurred  to  me  to  a^k  for  an  explanation,  —  an  addition- 
al averment  as  confirmation  of  its  truth ;  but,  before  I 
could  recover  myself,  it  was  too  late,  —  the  boat  was 
almost  beyond  hail.  It  would  be  no  use  shouting  after. 
They  would  not  hear,  or,  if  they  did,  would  not  heed 
me ;  and  what  mattered  it,  for  I  could  not  doubt  but 
Avhat  the  man  had  said  was  meant  as  serious  truth. 
Though  not  sober,  he  would  hardly  have  jested  then, 
and  in  such  a  fashion.  The  time  and  the  circumstances 
wei'e  too  solemn  for  jest,  —  even  for  him,  unfeehng 
fiend  that  he  was. 

No  ;  he  had  spoken  but  the  truth,  —  the  simple  truth. 
Beyond  all  hope  of  a  doubt,  there  was  a  barrel  of 
powder  on  board  the  Pandora  ! 

'Wliere  was  it  ?  In  the  store-room,  now  filled  with 
fire  ?  where  else  was  it  likely  to  be  ?  on  the  half-deck, 
or  in  the  hold  ?  No,  —  not  prol)able,  —  none  of  us  had 
ever  seen  it  thei'e.  There  had  been  no  powder  ob- 
served in  any  part  of  the  vessel  to  which  the  common 
sailors  had  access  ;  none  since  the  cargo  was  delivered 
tx)  King  Dingo.  It  must  then  be  in  ihe  store-room,  or 
in  the  captain's  own  state-room?  in  either  case  con- 
tiguous to  the  flames,  —  in  either  case  close  to  wlu.-re  I 
was  standing ! 

24* 


282  EAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

The  thought  roused  ray  senses  from  the  state  of 
stupefaction  into  which  they  had  fallen.  The  idea  of 
self-iireservation  gave  me  new  energies  ;  and  I  lost  no 
time  in  hastening  away  from  the  spot.  It  was  a  mere 
instinct  to  place  myself  as  far  from  the  danger  as  I 
could.  I  sprang  from  the  poop  and  ran  forward  upon 
the  main-deck. 

I  was  now  at  a  loss  as  to  how  I  should  act.  My  first 
impulse  had  been  to  rush  forward  among  the  men,  and 
proclaim  the  intelligence  communicated  by  the  captain. 
I  was  on  the  point  of  doing  so,  when  some  good  angel 
seemed  to  whisper  "  prudence." 

I  was  always  considered  a  boy  of  "  quick  parts,"  and 
the  life  I  had  been  lately  leading  had  wonderfully 
sharpened  my  intellect.  Just  then  it  occurred  to  me, 
if  I  divulged  the  terrible  secret  it  could  do  no  good, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  might  beget  great  mischief.  I 
saw  that  the  sailors  were  exerting  all  their  strength  to 
get  out  the  boat,  and  were  making  what  haste  they 
could.  No  power  on  earth  could  have  caused  them  to 
go  faster.  The  dread  of  the  flames,  now  beginning  to 
flow  through  the  cabin-windows,  was  stimulus  enough. 
Any  additional  dread  would  only  paralyze  them.  I 
determined,  therefore,  to  keep  the  fearful  knowledge 
within  my  own  breast.  I  thought  of  imparting  it  only 
to  Ben,  and  for  him  I  now  went  in  search. 

I  soon  discovered  him.  He  was  among  a  crowd  up 
over  the  davits,  working  with  all  his  might.  I  could 
not  get  near  him,  and  of  course  could  not  communi- 
cate with  him  without  being  overheard  by  the  others. 
I  therefore  resolved  to  remain  sole  possessor  of  the 
dread  seci'et  till  a  better  opportunity  offered  itself. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  283 

I  pet  to  work  with  the  rest,  heaving  and  hauling ; 
but  amidst  all  I  had  but  one  thought.  I  scarce  knew 
what  was  going  on,  or  what  I  was  myself  doing.  I  was 
every  moment  in-  expectation  of  that  loud  rei^ort,  —  that 
horrible  explosion  that  would  fling  us  all  into  eternity ! 
I  worked  mechanically  and  often  "\\Tong ;  once  or  twice 
I  caught  myself  hauling  the  wrong  way.  Some  of 
them  noticed  this  and  rudely  kicked  me  aside.  Oh! 
the  keen  apprehension ! 

The  boat  was  at  length  cleared  of  the  bulwarks  and 
swung  over  the  sea ;  and  then  the  lowering  commenced. 
This  operation  was  not  so  difficult,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
more  she  rested  upon  the  water.  The  men  gave  a 
cheer  at  their  success. 

Many  at  once  glided  into  the  boat ;  while  others  re- 
mained above  and  on  the  sides,  passing  down  some 
necessary  articles,  —  some  bread  and  water,  —  such 
things  as  could  be  most  readily  got  at. 

At  this  moment  two  men  lifted  between  them  a 
heavy  barrel ;  and,  rolling  it  over  the  bulwarks,  com- 
menced lowering  it  downward.  The  size  and  shape  of 
the  barrel  proclaimed  its  contents.  It  was  a  cask  of 
rum,  and  its  weight  proved  that  it  had  never  been 
broached,  but  was  quite  full  of  the  potent  spirit.  No 
one  objected  to  its  being  taken  into  the  boat.  There 
were  no  protesters  in  that  crew,  but  several  now  offered 
to  assist  in  lowering  it  doA\'n.  A  bight  of  rope  was 
thrown  around  the  cask,  and  the  letting  down  com- 
menced. 

It  had  scarcely  balanced  over  the  copper  'sheathing 
of  the  bulwark,  when  the  bight  of  rope  —  liurricdly 
cast  around  it  —  slipped  olf,  and  the  hea\'y  biUTel  fell 


284:  TAX   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

with  all  its  weight  into  tho  bottom  of  the  boat.  Not 
exactly  into  the  bottom,  but  upon  one  side,  —  a  little 
below  the  water-line,  as  the  boat  lay. 

A  heavy  crash  was  heard,  —  not  the  firm  concussion 
of  the  barrel  striking  on  the  elastic  timbers  of  the 
boat ;  but  more  as  if  something  had  broken  underneath 
where  it  fell.  The  barrel  had  fallen  angularly  and 
endways ;  and  the  sharp  projecting  ends  of  the  oaken 
staves  had  struck  between  two  of  the  ribs  of  tlie  boat, 
and  fair  upon  the  face  of  her  outside  planking.  As  if 
the  hand  of  a  demon  had  guided  it,  the  rum-cask  in  its 
descent  had  fallen  upon  one  of  the  decayed  planks ; 
and  the  crash  that  had  been  heard  was  the  sound  of 
the  plank  springing  out  of  its  bed  and  breakmg  cross- 
ways  at  the  same  time ! 

A  wild  cry  rose  from  out  the  boat,  as  those  who  were 
below  saw  the  catastrophe  that  had  happened.  It  was 
visible  even  from  the  deck  above ;  for  looking  over  I 
perceived  a  thick  gush  of  water  pouring  through  the 
side  of  the  boat. 

Some  of  the  men  leaj^ed  out  of  her  anu  came  climb- 
ing up  again ;  while  others  remained  endeavoring  to 
stanch  the  hole,  and,  with  buckets  that  Avere  now 
thrown  to  them,  commenced  baling  out. 

They  did  not  continue  long  at  this.  It  was  clearly 
a  hopeless  task ;  the  huge  breach  could  not  be  mended, 
and  the  boat  filled  ten  times  faster  than  they  could  bale 
her  out.  They  soon  abandoned  the  attempt ;  and,  drop- 
ping the  buckets,  followed  their  companions  up  the  side. 

In  less  than  ten  minutes  after,  the  long-boat  had  gone 
to  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

«  A  raft!  a  raft!" 


EAN   AAVAY   TO    SEA.  283 


CHAPTER    LII. 


"  A  RAFT !  a  raft ! " 

This  was  the  cry  that  now  echoed  along  the  decks, 
while  men  were  seen  hurriedly  seizing  hold  of  spars, 
ropes,  and  axes. 

But  there  was  another  cry,  and  an  angrier  one.  It 
arose  from  the  few  who  had  rushed  towards  the  stern 
in  hope  of  themselves  appropriating  the  gig,  and  whose 
disappointment  at  finding  she  was  gone  found  vent  in 
oaths  and  shouts  of  vengeance. 

They  had  no  need  to  go  aft  of  the  burning  cabin  to 
make  the  discovery.  Over  the  quarter  the  gig  was 
seen,  —  distinctly  seen  under  the  clear  moonlight,  — 
several  cable-lengths  from  the  barque,  and  fast  rowing 
away.  Six  forms  were  in  the  boat,  —  six  only,  —  and 
the  men  at  once  knew  that  they  were  the  captain,  the 
mate,  and  four  of  their  favorites.  No  explanation  was 
required.  The  behavior  of  those  in  the  gig  told  the 
tale  of  itself.  They  had  deserted  their  companions  in 
distress,  —  had  basely  stolen  away. 

"  Gig  ahoy  !  gig  ahoy  !  "  was  screeched  after  the  de- 
parting boat,  but  to  no  j)urpose.  Those  in  the  gig  j):ud 
no  heed  to  the  hail,  but  only  apix'ared  to  row  faster 
away.  They  seemed  to  dread  being  followed  by  the 
long-boat  and  overtaken ;  and  well  might  they  have  a 


286  KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

dread  of  It,  for  if  the  betrayed  crew  could  have  laid 
hands  upon  their  ci-devant  officers  at  that  moment,  they 
would  have  shown  them  but  scant  mercy. 

As  for  the  latter,  they  were  apparently  rowing  with 
all  their  might,  —  as  if  they  wanted  not  only  to  get  be- 
yond earshot  of  their  old  associates,  but  out  of  sight 
altogether.  Belike  the  ears  of  both  captain  and  mate 
were  keenly  bent,  and  their  eyes  too,  —  unfeehng  as  the 
hearts  of  both  were,  they  must  have  been  stirred  in  the 
anticipation  of  that  awful  catastrophe,  which  both  surely 
expected.  They  might  have  wished  for  a  time  to  be 
deprived  both  of  sight  and  heai'ing. 

As  I  have  said,  there  was  a  cry  of  vengeance  along 
the  deck.  Some,  who  but  the  moment  before  were 
skulking  aft  with  a  similar  purpose,  were  now  loud  in 
their  denunciations  of  the  dastardly  conduct  of  the  offi- 
cers ;  and,  goaded  by  the  two  passions  of  disappoint- 
ment and  rage,  shouted  after  them  the  most  opprobrious 
epithets  and  bitterest  threats. 

But  the  little  boat  was  by  this  far  oflP  upon  the  water ; 
and  the  necessity  for  immediate  action  soon  called  the 
men  from  these  idle  demonstrations. 

All  hands  set  to  work  at  the  formation  of  the  raft. 

The  hability  and  despatch  with  which  sailors  can  con- 
struct a  raft,  would  be  almost  incredible  to  a  landsman 
who  had  never  seen  the  thing  done.  It  is  not  from 
mere  concert  or  organization  among  themselves, — 
though  there  is  something  in  that.  Not  much,  how- 
ever, for  well-drilled  soldiers  are  as  clumsy  at  such  a 
work  as  farm-laborers. 

Though  the  principal  material  of  a  raft  be  timber,  tha 


RAX    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  287 

sailor  with  his  rope  will  far  sooner  bind  it  together  than 
the  carpenter  with  his  hammer  and  nails  ;  and  bind  it 
far  safer  and  surer  The  rope  is  the  sailor's  proper 
weapon,  and  its  use  he  understands  better  than  all  otii- 
ers.  lie  knows  at  a  glance,  or  by  a  touch,  whether  it 
be  the  thing  for  the  purpose  intended,  —  whether  it  be 
too  long  or  too  short,  too  weak  or  too  stout,  —  whether 
it  will  stretch  or  snap,  or  if  it  will  hold  securely.  He 
knows,  as  if  by  instinct,  what  sort  of  knot  should  be 
used  for  this,  and  what  sort  for  the  other,  —  whether  a 
"  reef-knot "  or  a  "  bowline,"  a  "  diamond  "  or  an  "  over- 
end," —  whether  a  "  close-hitch,"  a  "  clinch,"  or  a  "  cat's- 
paw," —  all  these  modes  of  splicing  and  tying,  with  five 
times  as  many  more,  are  secrets  only  known  to  the 
sailor. 

And  only  he  can  rapidly  cut  down  a  mast,  or  detach 
a  spar  from  its  rigging,  and  get  them  overboard  without 
delay.  The  aid  of  a  landsman  would  be  of  httle  ser- 
vice in  operations  like  these. 

Like  bees  the  men  went  to  work,  —  every  one  of  the 
thirty  and  foui".  Some  handled  the  saws  and  axes, — 
some  carried  spare-yards  and  spars,  —  some  with  their 
knives  attacked  the  runnmg  gear  and  provided  the 
ropes.  All  were  equally  busy,  —  all  equally  interested 
in  the  result. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  main-mast  came  down  with  a 
crash,  falhng  over  the  side,  and  grinding  the  bulwarks 
beneath  it  as  if  they  had  been  hurdles  of  reeds ;  and  in 
a  few  minutes  more  its  rigging  was  all  cut  loose,  —  both 
running  and  standing,  —  its  shrouds  and  stays,  sheets, 
braces,  and  hfts. 


288  RAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

The  great  mast,  with  its  yards  still  attached,  soon 
rested  upon  the  water  alongside  the  wreck,  —  for  the 
Pandora  might  now  be  called  a  wreck,  —  and  upon 
these,  as  a  foundation,  the  raft  was  speedily  laid.  The 
spare  spars  and  yards,  the  gaffs  and  booms,  were  thrown 
upon  top,  and  soon  lashed  firm  by  those  who  had  de- 
scended to  the  water,  and  who  now  found  footing  upon 
the  huge  floating  mass  of  timber.  Empty  casks  were 
bunged  and  flung  overboard,  and  these  added  essential- 
ly to  the  safety  of  the  structure  and  its  capability  of 
carrying  a  greater  weight.  Sails,  too,  were  thrown 
loosely  over  all,  and  then,  last  of  all,  the  biscuit  and 
water,  —  such  quantities  of  each  as  could  be  found  amid 
the  confusion. 

At  length  the  raft  was  deemed  complete.  It  could 
not  have  exceeded  fifteen  minutes  from  the  sinking  of 
the  long-boat,  until  the  cheering  fact  was  announced 
that  the  raft  was  ready  ! 


RAX    AWAY   TO    SEA.  289 


CHAPTER     LIII. 

But  short  as  was  the  time,  it  appeared  an  age  to  me. 
"With  that  di'ead  secret  shut  up  in  my  breast,  every 
minute  seemed  an  hour ;  and  I  knew  not  the  moment 
that  was  to  be  our  last.  "When  the  long-boat  went 
down,  I  had  resigned  all  hope,  —  not  dreaming  that  a 
raft  could  be  got  ready  before  the  explosion  would  take 
place. 

It  is  metaphorical  to  say  that  every  minute  seemed 
an  hour ;  but  so  tardy  did  the  time  appear  that  I  began 
to  wonder  why  the  awful  event  was  so  long  delayed. 
Perhaps,  thought  I,  the  powder  may  be  far  down,  cov- 
ered over  with  other  things,  —  such  as  boxes  and  bales, 
■ — and  the  fire  has  not  yet  been  able  to  get  at  it.  I 
knew  that  a  barrel  of  powder,  even  when  thrown  into 
the  midst  of  a  red-hot  fire,  takes  a  considerable  time  to 
explode.  An  intense  heat  must  be  generated  in  the 
wood  before  tlie  powder  inside  will  ignite ;  and,  for  this 
reason,  the  barrel  must  be  a  good  while  exposed  to  the 
fire.  Perhaps  the  flames  had  not  yet  reached  it  ?  Was 
this  the  reason  why  the  catastrophe  was  delayed  ? 

Or  was  it  that  the  powder  was  not  in  the  store-room, 
or  the  cabin  either,  or  in  the  after-part  of  the  vessel  at 
all  ?  About  its  whereabouts  the  skipper  had  said  noth- 
ing, and  it  was  upon  this  point  I  had  desired  explana- 


290  RAN    AWAY   TO    SEA. 

tlon  as  the  gig  rowed  off.  A  knowledge  of  this  might 
have  been  of  the  greatest  importance  ;  but  the  captain 
had  not  even  thrown  out  a  hint.  What,  after  all,  if 
there  was  no  gunpowder  on  board  ?  "Wliat  if  the  man 
had  meant  it  as  a  jest,  —  ill-timed  and  unfeeling  though 
it  was  ? 

What  if  he  had  intended  it  not  as  a  piece  of  pleas- 
antry, but  an  act  of  refined  cruelty  ? 

There  were  circumstances  that  favored  this  last  sup- 
position. For  the  preceding  twenty  hours  he  had  been 
at  loggerheads  with  the  crew.  Ever  since  morning, 
since  the  commencement  of  the  water  trouble,  the  men 
had  been  sulky  and  mutinous,  and  both  mate  and  cap- 
tain had  been  slightingly  treated,  —  their  orders  in  most 
cases  altogether  disregarded.  In  fact,  both  had  been 
bearded  and  threatened,  and  several  angry  altercations 
had  occurred  between  them  and  the  crew.  It  was  nat- 
ural they  should  feel  spiteful  and  desirous  of  having  re- 
venge,—  natural  for  such  men  as  they  were, —  and 
might  it  not  be  to  gratify  this  feeling,  that  the  skipper 
had  shouted  back  that  gratuitous  piece  of  intelhgence, 
that  there  was  gunpowder  on  board  ? 

Fiendish  as  such  conduct  may  appear,  there  was 
probability  in  the  supposition.  It  would  only  be  in 
keeping  with  the  character  of  the  man. 

I  really  began  to  hope  that  such  might  be  the  case ; 
and  it  again  occurred  to  me  to  seek  Ben  and  communi- 
cate the  secret  to  him.  He  would  be  more  likely  to 
know  Avhether  the  skipper  had  spoken  truly  or  in  cruel 
jest ;  and,  if  the  former,  perhaps  he  might  be  able  to 
guess  where  the  dangerous  material  was  concealed,  and 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  291 

might  yet  be  in  time  to  move  it  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  fire. 

These  reflections  occupied  me  but  a  few  seconds  of 
time  ;  and  as  soon  as  I  had  made  them  I  hurried  over 
the  decks  in  search  of  my  friend,  with  the  design  of 
making  the  disclosure  of  my  secret. 

I  found  him  among  the  rest,  busy  about  the  raft.  He 
was  wielding  an  axe,  and  cutting  away  some  of  the 
sheeting  of  the  bulwarks,  to  help  in  its  construction.  I 
caught  him  by  the  sleeve,  and  with  a  gesture  drew  him 
a  httle  to  one  side ;  and  then  in  a  whisper  I  made 
known  to  him  the  parting  speech  of  the  captam. 

I  saw  that  the  announcement  startled  Ixim.  Brave 
man  though  he  was,  it  was  enough  to  bring  the  pale- 
ness to  his  cheeks,  and  cause  him  to  stand  for  some 
moments  speechless  and  irresolute. 

"  You  're  sure  he  said  that,  —  sure  o'  it,  "Willim  ?  " 

"  Quite  sure,  —  they  were  his  very  words." 

"  A  barrel  o'  powder  aboard  ! " 

"  He  said  it  just  as  they  rowed  off.  I  've  been 
thinking  he  might  have  done  it  out  of  spite,  —  to 
frighten  us  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  lad,  it 's  true,  —  shiver  my  timbers !  if  it  a'n't. 
The  powder,  —  't  was  believed  we  'd  turned  it  all  over 
to  King  Dingo.  Now  I  remember  something.  I  thought 
I  seed  the  skipper  hide  a  barrel  o'  it  after  it  was  counted 
out ;  he  stole  it  from  the  nigger,  for  sartin.  I  thought 
so  at  the  time,  but  wam't  sure.  Now  I  be  sure.  There 
be  a  barrel  aboard,  sure  as  we  're  livin  !  Heaven  o' 
mercy,  —  we  're  lost,  lad !  —  we  're  lost !  " 

The  momentary  relief,   which   I   hud   experienced 


292  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

from  my  late  conjecture,  was  at  an  end ;  and  my  ap- 
prehensions were  now  as  acute  as  ever.  It  was  no  jest 
then,  —  the  skipper  had  been  in  earnest.  The  gun- 
powder was  on  board,  —  the  stolen  barrel,  —  and  for 
this  theft  we  were  now  to  be  sacrificed  while  the  thief 
himself  had  escaped ! 

Brace  stood  for  some  seconds,  as  if  paralyzed  with 
the  intelligence  I  had  given  him.  He  seemed  to  watch 
and  listen  for  the  crisis,  and  so  did  I. 

After  a  short  while,  however,  my  companion  recov- 
ered his  presence  of  mind,  and  appeared  busy  thinking 
out  some  plan  of  deliverance.  But  a  few  seconds  only 
was  he  silent,  and  then,  making  a  sign  for  me  to  go 
after  him,  he  glided  towards  the  bows  of  the  vessel. 

No  one  saw  or  followed  us,  and  there  was  nobody 
forward  beyond  the  windlass.  At  the  moment  all  were 
busy  amidships,  in  getting  the  great  mast  overboard, 
and  cutting  away  the  strong  ropes  of  the  rigging. 

Brace  continued  on  over  the  bow-bv;lwarks,  until  he 
had  got  betAveen  the  bumpkin  and  bowsprit-shrouds, 
and  close  to  the  figure-head  of  the  vessel.  Here  he 
stopped  and  beckoned  me  towards  him.  I  crawled 
over,  and  stood  by  his  side. 

"  Not  a  word,  lad !  —  not  a  word  of  what  you  've 
heard !  It  can  do  no  good,  but  only  harm.  If  they 
get  to  know  't,  they  '11  knock  off  work,  —  every  one  o' 
'em,  —  and  then  we  must  all  either  roast  or  drown. 
Let  'em  go  on  with  the  raft,  —  maybe  there  '11  be  time 
enough  yet.  Almighty  grant  that  there  may  be, 
Willim  !  For  all  that,  'ta'n't  no  harm  to  try  and  save 
ourselves  if  we  can.     The  powder 's  sui'e  to  be  about 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  293 

the  cabin,  and  we  '11  stand  a  better  chance  here  for- 
'ard.  But  we  a'n't  agoin'  to  stop  here  longer  than  we 
can  help.  Look  sharp,  now,  and  give  me  a  hand ! 
These  two  planks  '11  float  us.  You  cut  some  rope, 
then,  while  I  knock  'em  off,  —  there,  cut  clear  the  jib- 
sheets  and  downhauls, — that'll  do, — quick,  lad!  quick!" 

Thus  directing  me,  Bi-ace,  who  had  brought  the  axe 
along  with  him,  commenced  knocking  off  the  great  broad 
boards  that  stretched  on  both  sides  from  the  bulwarks 
to  the  figure-head,  and  upon  which  the  name  of  the 
vessel  was  painted.  With  a  few  strokes  of  the  axe  the 
strong  man  was  able  to  detach  them ;  and,  as  soon  as 
this  was  done,  he  slung  them  in  the  ropes  I  had  already 
obtained,  and  lowered  them  down  to  the  water. 

Climbing  out  upon  the  bowsprit,  he  next  detached 
the  dolphin-sti-iker,  and  it  also  was  lowered  down,  while 
I  made  myself  useful  by  cutting  through  the  martin- 
gales, also  the  fore-topgallant  and  royal-stays,  that  fas- 
tened this  spar  in  its  place.  Several  other  pieces  of 
timber  yielded  to  the  axe  ;  and  all,  having  been  thrown 
downward,  floated  together  upon  the  motionless  surface 
of  the  water. 

Brace,  now  perceiving  that  there  was  enough  io 
make  a  raft  to  carry  the  two  of  us,  flung  the  axe  into 
the  shrouds  ;  and,  gliding  down  a  rope  upon  the  floating 
timbers,  called  upon  me  to  follow  him.  It  was  at  this 
moment  I  heard  the  cry  from  the  main-deck  that  the 
great  raft  was  ready ;  and,  looking  back,  I  pei'ceived 
that  the  men  were  hurrying  over  the  side  and  descend- 
ing upon  it.  If  I  remained  but  a  moment  longer,  I 
should  be  the  last  upon  the  burning  wreck. 

25* 


294  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

No !  —  not  the  last,  —  far  from  it.  There  were 
nearly  five  hundred  more,  —  five  hundred  human  beings 
on  board  the  Pandora  !  And  though  they  were  men  with 
black  skins,  they  had  lives  to  lose,  —  lives  as  precious 
to  them  as  ours  were  to  us. 

A  terrible  spectacle  was  comprehended  in  that  back- 
ward glance,  —  a  sight,  the  remembrance  of  which 
never  fails  to  send  a  chill  through  my  veins,  and  a 
shuddering  through  my  frame. 


ilAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  295 


CHAPTER    LIV. 

DtmiNG  all  this  time  what  was  the  behavior  of  the 
unfortunate  blacks  ?     Where  were  they  ?     What  were  _ 
they  doing  ?     What  was  being  done  for  them  ?     Were 
any  steps  being  taken  for  their  safety  ? 

The  two  last  of  these  questions  may  be  answered  by 
saying,  that  up  to  that  moment,  with  the  exception  of 
myself,  perhaps,  not  one  on  board  had  given  a  thought 
either  to  them  or  their  fate !  With  regard  to  their 
whereabouts,  they  were  stUl  between  decks,  and  under 
grated  hatches ;  and  as  to  what  they  were  doing,  it 
would  have  been  hard  to  tell  that,  —  hard  even  to  guess 
it.  One  thing  they  were  doing ;  they  were  crying 
frantically,  and  screaming  as  if  they  had  all  gone  mad, 
—  but  this  was  no  new  thing,  it  had  been  their  behavior 
throughout  that  whole  day. 

In  their  hurrying  to  and  fro,  while  launcliing  the 
long-boat,  and  afterwards  while  gathering  materials  for 
the  raft,  the  men  passed  frequently  near  them ;  and 
then  the  cries  of  the  blacks  would,  for  the  moment,  be 
uttered  in  a  louder  voice,  and  in  more  earnest  tones,  — 
sometimes  of  entreaty,  but  oftener  of  rage  and  menace. 

As  no  notice  was  taken  of  them,  and  those  to  wlioni 
they  appealed  passed  carelessly  on,  their  voices  would, 
sink  again  into  the  deep,  continuous  murmur  of  despair. 


296  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

It  is  probable  that  up  to  this  period  —  the  moment 
when  the  raft  was  ready  —  the  only  agony  which  they 
had  experienced  was  thirst ;  for  I  noticed,  on  last  pass- 
ing them,  that  their  cries  had  not  changed.  It  was  still 
Af/oa  /  agoa  !  —  water !  water !  This,  with  the  want  of 
air  and  room,  the  desire  to  get  upon  deck,  were  the  im- 
pulses that  had  been  urgmg  them  to  such  furious  and 
frantic  demonstrations. 

It  is  most  probable,  then,  that  up  to  the  period  I 
have  mentioned  they  had  no  particular  dread,  —  at  least, 
no  dread  of  the  awful  doom  that  now  threatened  them 
so  nearly. 

The  smoke  of  the  burning  cabin  rather  inclined 
aft  than  forwai'd,  and  had  not  reached  them ;  and  the 
flames  were  not  yet  sufficiently  bright  to  illumine  the 
whole  vessel  with  any  unnatural  light.  Of  course, 
from  their  position  under  the  hatches,  neither  cabin  nor 
deck  was  visible  to  them ;  and  until  either  smoke  or 
flame,  or  a  brilliant  light  shining  through  the  grating, 
should  reveal  the  awful  truth,  they  could  not  possibly 
be  aware  of  their  peril.  No  one  had  volunteered  to 
announce  it  to  them,  because  no  one  thought  it  worth 
while ! 

They  may  have  observed  that  all  was  not  right,  — 
they  may  have  had  suspicions  that  there  was  something 
amiss.  The  unusual  movements  of  the  crew,  —  the 
noises  heard  upon  deck,  —  the  hurried  trampling  of 
feet,  and  the  gestures  of  the  sailors,  as  these  passed 
within  sight,  with  the  terrified  expression  of  their  coun- 
tenances,—  which  could  scarce  have  been  unnoticed, 
for  it  was  still  clear  enough  for  that,  —  aU  these  matters 


KAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  297 

must  have  excited  the  suspicions  of  the  close-kept 
crowd,  that  there  Avas  something  amiss  on  board  the 
barque.  Tlie  crashing  sound  of  axes,  and  then  the 
shock  and  heavy  lurching  of  the  vessel,  as  the  mast 
came  down,  may  have  excited  otlier  apprehensions  be- 
sides that  of  perishing  by  thirst ;  and,  though  they 
continued  their  cries  for  "water,  I  observed  that  they 
conversed  among  themselves  in  hurried  mutterings  that 
bespoke  alarm  from  some  other  cause. 

But  as  none  of  them  knew  anything  about  a  ship  or 
her  ways,  —  the  Pandora  "was  the  first  they  had  ever 
looked  upon,  —  of  course  they  could  not  arrive  at  any 
conclusion  as  to  why  the  unusual  movements  were  going 
forward.  Guided  only  by  what  they  heard,  they  could 
hardly  guess  what  was  being  done.  They  could  not 
imagine  there  was  a  danger  of  being  wrecked,  —  since 
there  was  neither  "n'ind  nor  storm,  —  and  after  all  it 
might  be  some  manoeuvre  in  navigation  which  they  did 
not  comprehend.  This,  probably,  would  have  been 
their  behef,  had  they  not  observed  the  odd  looks  and 
gestures  of  such  of  the  sailors  as  at  intervals  came  near 
the  grating.  These  were  so  wild  as  to  convince  them 
that  something  "was  "\ATong,  —  that  there  was  danger 
aboard. 

The  commotion  had  produced  fears  among  them,  but 
not  proportioned  to  the  peril.  They  knew  not  the 
nature  of  their  danger,  and  their  alarm  had  not  yet 
reached  its  crisis ;  but  they  were  not  destined  to  remain 
much  longer  in  doubt. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  jet  of  red  flame  shot  ujjward 
through  the  smoke,  —  it  was  followed  by  another,  red- 


298  RAN   AAVAY    TO    SEA. 

der  and  more  voluminous,  —  then  another,  and  another, 
until  the  blaze  rose  continuous,  and  stood  several  feet 
in  the  air. 

The  moon  became  eclipsed  by  this  brighter  light,  — 
the  whole  vessel  was  yellowed  over,  as  if  the  sun  had 
returned  above  the  ocean. 

The  crackling  of  the  burning  timber  now  sounded  in 
their  ears,  —  the  fire,  having  escaped  from  the  embrace 
of  its  own  smoke,  seethed  fiercer,  and  rose  higher  into 
the  air,  until  the  top  of  the  ascending  flames  could  be 
seen  through  the  grating  of  the  hatches. 

But  it  needed  not  that  the  flames  should  be  seen,  — 
their  light,  and  the  hissing,  crackling  noise  that  pro- 
ceeded from  them,  proclaimed  the  dread  nature  of  the 
catastrophe. 

Then  arose  a  cry,  —  a  wild,  agonizing  cry,  —  out  of 
the  bosom  of  that  dark  hold,  —  out  of  the  hearts  of 
that  ill-fated  crowd,  —  a  cry  that  for  some  moments 
drowned  the  fierce  seething  of  the  flames,  and  the 
crashing,  crackling  soiinds  of  the  fire.  I  shall  never 
forget  that  cry,  —  none  who  heard  it  could  fail  to  re- 
member it  till  their  last  hour. 

It  was  just  at  this  crisis  that  I  had  turned  to  look 
back.  Awful  was  the  sight  that  met  my  eyes,  —  awful 
the  sounds  that  fell  upon  my  ears.  Under  the  bright 
gleam  of  the  blazing  ship,  I  saw  the  black  faces  and 
round  woolly  heads  pressing  against  the  bars  of  the 
grating.  I  saw  glaring  eyes,  foaming  lips,  and  teeth 
set  in  terror,  glittering  white  under  the  corruscation 
of  the  flames.  I  saw  smoke  oozing  up  the  grated  hatch, 
-^the  fixe  was  fast  creeping  forward,  —  its  foul  har- 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  299 

binger  was  already  among  them !  0,  what  an  a'vs'ful 
sight ! 

I  could  not  bear  it,  —  I  could  not  have  borne  it  in 
a  dream,  —  it  was  too  much  for  human  eyes,  —  too 
much  for  the  heart  of  man.  My  first  impulse  was  to 
turn  away,  and  glide  down  beside  my  companion, — 
who  was  waiting  impatiently  upon  the  raft  below. 
This  was  my  first  impulse,  which  suddenly  gave  way 
to  another.  My  eye  had  fallen  upon  the  axe,  —  still 
lying  across  the  bowsprit  shrouds,  where  Brace  had 
thrown  it.  The  weapon  suggested  a  purpose ;  and, 
eagerly  seizing  it,  I  faced  once  more  towards  the  burn- 
ing vessel.  My  purpose  was  to  return  on  deck, — 
strike  off  the  batten,  —  and  set  the  grating  free.  I 
knew  the  risk,  —  I  had  not  forgotten  the  presence  of 
the  powder,  —  but  if  it  were  to  be  my  death  I  could 
not  restrain  myself  from  acting  as  I  did.  I  could 
not  live  to  behold  such  a  terrible  holocaust,  —  such  a 
wholesale  burning  of  human  beiiigs ! 

"  At  least,"  thought  I,  "  they  shall  not  perish  thus. 
Though  their  fate  be  sealed,  they  shall  have  a  choice 
of  death,  —  they  shall  choose  between  burning  and 
drowning,  —  the  latter  will  at  least  be  easier  to  endure." 

It  was  this  last  reflection  that  had  prompted  me  to 
my  purpose.  Bending  downward,  I  hurriedly  com- 
municated my  design  to  my  companion.  I  was  grati- 
fied with  his  reply. 

"  All  right,  Willim  !  good  work,  —  do  it !  —  do  it,  — ■ 
set  'em  free,  poor  creetirs.  I  was  thinking  o't  myself, 
—  tho'  'twas  too  late,  —  haste  'ee,  lad,  —  look  sharp!" 

I  waited  not  for  the  end  of  his  speech ;  but,  springing 


300  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

back  to  the  deck,  rushed  towards  the  hatch.  I  thought 
not  of  lookmg  below,  —  indeed,  the  smoke  was  now 
coming  up  so  thickly  that  I  could  scarce  see  the  terri- 
fied faces.  The  glimpse  I  had  of  them  was  sufficient 
to  satisfy  me,  that,  in  a  few  minutes  more,  those  glaring 
eyes  would  have  been  blind,  and  those  hoarse  voices 
hushed  in  death. 

I  remembered  where  one  batten  had  been  removed, 
and  where  the  other  had  been  attacked  by  the  axe.  I 
renewed  the  attack,  —  striking  with  all  the  strength 
and  dexterity  I  could  command.  My  efforts  proved 
successful ;  and,  after  half  a  dozen  blows,  the  spikes 
yielded,  and  the  cleet  of  timber  flew  off. 

I  did  not  stay  to  raise  the  grating ;  I  knew  that 
would  be  done  by  the  pressure  from  below ;  and,  gliding 
back,  I  once  more  climbed  over  the  bows.  One  glance 
back,  as  I  passed  over  the  head,  told  me  that  my  pur- 
pose had  been  fully  accomplished.  Listantly  as  I  parted 
from  it  the  grating  was  flung  off,  and  I  saw  the  stream 
of  black  foi'ms  pouring  upwards  and  spreading  itself 
over  the  deck ! 

I  stayed  to  observe  no  more  ;  but,  sliding  do\STi  a 
rope,  was  received  in  the  ai'ms  of  my  companion. 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  301 


CHAPTER    LV. 


During  my  short  absence  Brace  had  not  been  idle. 
He  had  got  his  Uttle  raft  compacted,  —  its  timbers  tied 
together,  —  and  it  now  carried  us  both  without  even 
dipping  under  water.  The  two  spai-s,  the  dolphin- 
striker,  and  half  of  the  spritsail-yard  were  laid  paral- 
lel to  each  other,  and  transversely  to  these  were  the 
broad  pieces  that  exhibited  in  large  letters  the  name  of 
the  ill-fated  barque.  There  were  several  other  pieces 
of  timber,  a  handspike  or  two,  and  an  oar,  —  which 
Brace  had  picked  up  as  he  glided  towards  the  head,  — 
and  over  all  was  a  piece  of  sail-clotli,  or  tarpaulin.  The 
Avhole  formed  a  raft  just  about  lai'ge  enough  for  two, 
and  safe  enough  in  calm  weather,  but  under  a  gale,  or 
even  a  strong  wind,  such  a  structure  would  have  been 
overwhelmed  at  once. 

But  my  companion  had  no  intention  of  going  to  sea 
with  such  a  craft.  His  idea  had  been  that  he  might 
get  it  ready  before  the  great  raft  could  be  finished,  and 
the  sooner  escape  from  the  dangerous  proximity  of  the 
powder.  Even  if  it  had  taken  him  quite  as  long  to  pre- 
pare it,  there  was  still  a  greater  chance  of  safety  by  our 
being  so  far  forward  upon  the  vessel.  If  the  powder 
had  exploded,  there  would  have  been  a  chance  of  our 
not  bemg  blown  to  atoms.  The  after-part  of  the  vessel 
26 


302  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

might  be  shivered  in  pieces,  and,  of  course,  the  rest 
would  soon  sink ;  but  still,  by  keeping  out  by  the  head, 
there  were  many  chances  in  our  favor.  It  was  from 
these  considerations  that  the  sailor  had  hurried  away 
from  amid-ships,  and  set  to  making  his  raft  at  the  bows. 
It  was  only  intended  as  a  temporary  retreat,  —  to  en- 
able us  at  the  earliest  moment  to  get  beyond  the  circle 
of  danger ;  and,  should  the  men  succeed  in  completing 
the  larger  structure,  ours  could  afterwards  be  brought 
alongside  and  joined  on  to  it. 

The  large  raft  was  completed  as  soon  as  our  little 
one,  and  all  hands  had  gone  down  upon  it.  As  I  re- 
turned on  deck  to  strike  up  the  hatch,  I  saw  not  a  soul 
of  the  Pandora's  crew.  They  had  all  gone  out  of  the 
vessel,  and  betaken  themselves  to  the  raft.  From  the 
deck  I  could  not  see  either  them  or  the  raft,  —  as  the 
latter  was  still  close  in  under  the  beam-ends  of  the 
barque. 

As  soon  as  I  had  got  fairly  down,  my  companion 
pushed  off,  and  the  next  moment  the  great  raft  came 
under  our  view.  Both  it,  and  those  who  were  on  it, 
were  seen  as  distinctly  as  though  it  had  been  daylight, 
—  for  the  burning  vessel  was  no  longer  a  combination 
of  flame  and  smoke.  Her  whole  quarter-deck,  from 
the  taffrail  to  the  main  hatch,  was  enveloped  in  a  bright 
flame  that  illumined  the  surface  of  the  sea  to  the  dis- 
tance of  miles.  Under  this  light,  we  perceived  the  raft 
and  the  men  standing  or  crouching  upon  it. 

They  had  pushed  off  some  ten  or  twelve  yards  from 
the  side  of  the  vessel,  in  order  to  be  clear  of  the  flames. 
There  was  another  reason  that  induced  them  to  get 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  303 

some  distance  away,  and  that  was  the  fear  that  there 
might  be  powder  aboard.  Ahhough  no  positive  alarm 
had  been  given  to  that  effect,  there  existed  a  doubt 
about  the  thing,  and  they  were  not  without  appre- 
hensions. There  were  other  men  besides  Brace  who 
knew  something,  or  had  heard  something,  about  the 
stolen  keg,  but  who,  not  being  certain  about  the 
matter,  did  not  like  to  make  known  their  suspicions. 
There  might  be  powder  yet ;  and  it  was,  therefore,  with 
a  feeling  of  relief  that  all  hands  had  sprung  upon  the 
raft,  and  got  it  out  of  the  way  of  such  dangerous  con- 
tingency. No  doubt  it  Avas  this  suspicion  about  the 
gunpoAvder  that  had  influenced  them  all  to  exert  them- 
selves so  strenuously  in  the  work.  So  far  as  there  was 
any  danger  fi-om  the  flames,  they  might  have  continued 
on  board  awhile  longer,  —  for  it  Avould  still  be  many 
minutes  before  the  conflagration  could  extend  forward 
and  embrace  the  whole  of  the  vessel. 

The  men  had  not  stayed  aboard  a  moment  longer 
than  was  required  for  them  to  complete  the  necessary 
work  ;  and  once  on  the  water,  they  were  seen  to  be 
working  as  anxiously  as  ever  to  push  off  the  raft,  — 
as  though  they  dreaded  contact  with  the  barque  from 
some  other  cause  than  the  danger  of  the  fire. 

This  was  in  reality  the  case  ;  for,  now  that  the  raft 
•was  fairly  afloat,  those  who  suspected  the  presence  of 
gunpowder  Avere  heard  freely  declaring  their  suspicions ; 
and  all  stood  looking  upon  the  conflagration  with  eyes 
of  expectancy,  —  expecting  every  moment  to  hear  an 
explosion  ! 

It  was  just  at  that  moment  that  Brace  and  I,  passing 


304  RAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

round  the  larboard-bow,  came  in  sight  of  the  crew  ; 
and,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  my  comi^anion  using 
the  oar,  and  I  doing  what  I  could  with  a  handspike,  set 
our  little  raft  in  motion,  directing  it  as  well  as  we  could 
towards  the  other,  —  with  wliich  we  supposed  in  a  few 
seconds  we  should  be  able  to  come  up. 

In  this,  however,  we  were  disappointed.  Just  then 
we  observed  a  strange  movement  among  the  men  on 
the  raft,  who,  after  standing  for  some  seconds  in  atti- 
tudes that  betokened  surprise,  and  with  voices  and  ges- 
tures that  confirmed  it,  were  seen  hastily  renewing  their 
efforts  to  put  themselves  at  a  still  greater  distance  from 
the  wreck ;  and  not  only  hastily,  but  in  a  manner  that 
bespoke  some  degree  of  terror  ! 

Wliat  could  this  mean?  Surely  the  flames  could 
not  reach  them  now?  Surely  they  were  beyond  all 
danger  from  an  explosion  of  gunpowder,  —  even  had 
there  been  a  hundred  barrels  instead  of  one  ?  The 
blowing  up  of  a  whole  magazine  could  not  have  harmed 
them  at  that  distance  off?  Surely  it  was  not  this  that 
was  exciting  them  ? 

I  fii'st  looked  to  Brace  for  an  explanation,  but  his 
actions,  at  the  moment,  were  as  mysterious  as  any.  He 
was  on  the  forward  part  of  our  little  craft,  kneehng 
upon  the  planks  and  using  liis  oar  in  the  manner  of  a 
paddle.  I  saw  that  he  was  endeavoring  to  direct  our 
course  towards  the  raft ;  so  was  I  with  the  handspike ; 
but  my  companion,  instead  of  working  leisurely  and 
deliberately,  —  as  he  had  hitherto  been  doing,  —  was 
now  rowing  with  all  the  haste  and  strength  he  could 
put  into  his  arms,  -—  as  if  he  was  in  dread  that  the  raft 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  305 

would  get  away  from  us,  and  was  doing  lils  utmost  to 
overtake  her  ! 

He  had  said  nothing  as  yet ;  but  I  couki  see  his 
features  distinctly  under  the  brilliant  light,  and  the  ex- 
pression upon  them,  as  well  as  the  earnest  endeavors 
he  was  making  to  increase  our  speed,  convinced  me 
that  he,  too,  was  under  some  feeling  of  terror. 

"Was  it  the  fear  of  being  left  behind  by  those  on  the 
raft  ?  No ;  it  could  not  be  that ;  for  though  neither 
was  going  faster  than  a  cat  could  swim,  we  were  evi- 
dently making  better  speed  than  they ;  and  it  was  plain 
we  were  getting  nearer  them  at  every  stroke  of  the 
paddle.  The  great  raft,  indeed,  lay  like  Avhat  it  was, 
—  a  raft  of  logs ;  and,  although  the  men  had  oars,  it 
was  only  with  great  difficulty  it  could  be  pushed  along, 
and  moved  slowly  and  heavily  through  the  water. 
"Why  should  Brace  be  at  all  uneasy  about  our  over- 
taking it  ? 

But  it  was  not  that  that  was  urging  him  to  such 
haste.  The  conjecture  only  held  possession  of  my 
thoughts  for  an  instant.  In  the  next  instant  I  perceived 
the  cause  of  terror,  I  saAV  what  alarmed  both  my  com- 
panion and  the  crew  upon  the  raft. 


26* 


306  KAN  AWAY  TO   SEA. 


CHAPTER    LVI. 

Up  to  that  instant  I  had  not  looked  back  towards  the 
burning  barque.  I  would  rather  not  have  done  so.  I 
dreaded  to  look  back  ;  moreover,  I  was  so  eagerly  em- 
ployed in  helping  to  propel  our  floating  plank  that  I 
had  scarce  time  for  looking  around. 

Now,  however,  I  was  constrained  to  raise  my  head 
and  glance  back  upon  that  terrific  spectacle.  It  ex- 
plained at  once  why  the  crew  of  the  Pandora  were  so 
eager  to  be  gone  from  the  spot. 

The  fire  had  burned  forward  to  the  stump  of  the 
main-mast,  and,  fed  by  the  large  quantities  of  black, 
pitchy  ropes,  —  the  shrouds,  stays,  and  ratlines,  —  was 
sending  up  strong  bursts  of  smoky  flame.  Red  tongues 
were  shooting  out  forward,  as  if  to  grasp  the  rigging  of 
the  fore-mast,  that  still  stood  untouched.  But  the  most 
singular,  or  rather  the  most  awful,  part  of  the  scene  was 
that  presented  on  the  fore-deck  and  the  whole  forward 
part  of  the  ship.  Upon  the  windlass,  the  bulwarks,  the 
fore-mast  shrouds,  around  the  head,  and  out  to  the  bow- 
sprit-end, was  a  continuous  swarm  of  human  forms,  so 
thickly  clustered  that  scarce  any  part  of  the  vessel 
could  be  seen,  except  the  fore-mast,  with  its  spars  and 
rigging  towering  high  above.  Five  hundred  there  were, 
—  perhaps   not  so  many,  as   some   of  them,   happily 


RAN   ATVAY   TO    SEA.  307 

for  themselves,  had  gone  out  of  the  world  before  that 
dread  hour.  But  nearly  five  hundred  there  were,  and 
of  course  they  covered  every  part  of  the  forward  deck, 
and  even  the  sides  and  bulwarks,  from  the  selvage  of 
the  approaching  flames  to  the  bowsprit-end.  Some  had 
gone  out  even  farther,  and  could  be  seen  swarming  like 
bees  and  balancing  their  bodies  on  the  jib-boom.  la 
fact,  but  for  its  awful  character,  the  scene  suggested  the 
hiving  of  bees  that  had  crowded  every  leaf  and  twig 
upon  the  branch  of  a  tree. 

Both  males  and  females  were  there,  —  for  both  had 
succeeded  in  making  their  way  on  deck,  —  but  amid 
that  thick  swarm  their  sex  could  not  be  distinguished. 
Strange  to  say,  they  were  no  longer  black  !  Not  one 
of  them  looked  black,  —  on  the  contrary,  they  appeared 
red  !  Their  faces,  the  skin  of  their  naked  bodies,  even 
the  woolly  coverture  of  their  croA\Tis,  showed  blood-red 
under  the  glaring  light  of  the  blazing  pitch ;  and  this 
sins^ular  transformation  added  not  a  little  to  renderinor 
the  scene  more  teri-ific,  —  for  there  was  something  su- 
pernatui'al  in  this  altered  complexion. 

The  whole  scene  might  have  been  compared  to  the 
finale  of  some  grand  theatrical  spectacle,  —  it  had  all 
the  grandeur,  the  red  light,  and  the  scenic  embellish- 
ment, —  but  in  two  circumstances  it  widely  differed 
from  the  fictitious  imitation.  There  was  not  that  va- 
riety of  forms  and  colors  in  the  tableaux,  and,  more- 
over, the  characters  were  not,  as  upon  the  stage,  in 
poses  and  attitudes  that  betokened  rest.  On  tlie  con- 
trary, all  were  in  motion.  Their  arms  were  tossing 
wildly  above  their  heads,  while  they  themselves  were 
leaping  upward,  or  dancing  to  and  fro  wherever  they 


308  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

could  find  footing.  They  were  shouting  in  tones  of 
despair,  screaming  in  agonized  accents  ;  while  some, 
who  had  evidently  gone  mad,  were  gibbering  and  laugh- 
ing in  voices  that  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  of 
the  hyena ! 

The  strong  light  enabled  me  to  trace  everything  mi- 
nutely,—  alas,  too  minutely!  I  could  see  the  white, 
gleaming  teeth,  the  frothing  lips,  the  eyes  glaring  in 
madness  or  terror.  We  were  still  scarce  a  cable's 
length  from  them.  I  could  note  every  movement  as  if 
I  had  been  in  their  midst,  or  within  ten  feet  of  them. 
They  all  stood  fronting  in  the  direction  of  the  raft ;  and 
for  this  reason  I  could  note  their  gestures,  and  even 
distinguish  the  expression  upon  their  features. 

Among  other  things  I  saw  women,  —  I  knew  they 
were  women  only  from  their  being  smaller  than  those 
around,  —  I  saw  women  lift  up  little  dark  forms  as  high 
as  they  could  raise  them,  and  hold  them  out  in  the 
direction  of  the  raft.  They  were  their  children,  their 
infant  piccaninnies,  and  this  was  intended  as  a  suppli- 
cation to  the  white  runaways  to  come  back  and  save 
them.  Others  stretched  forth  their  arms  and  stood  in 
attitudes  of  entreaty ;  while  men  —  the  stronger  and 
fi:ercer  ones  —  shook  their  clenched  fists  in  the  air  and 
hurled  after  us  loud  cries  of  menace. 

Awe-inspiring  as  was  the  spectacle,  it  was  neither 
the  threats  of  the  men  nor  the  supplications  of  the 
women  that  was  causing  all  the  commotion  among  the 
crew  on  the  raft. 

Part  of  the  blaspheming  and  loud  talk  that  could  be 
heard  there  arose  from  anger  that  the  blacks  had  been 
let  out ;  and  we  could  hear  several  voices  inquiring,  in 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  309 

harsh,  angry  tones,  "  T\^ho  has  done  it  ?  Who  has 
done  it  ?  " 

These  questions  were  not  asked  simply  thus,  but  with 
the  embellishments  of  horrid  oaths  and  exclamations 
that  cannot  be  repeated. 

It  was  just  as  my  companion  and  I  were  parting  from 
the  bows,  that  we  heard  these  questions  asked,  and  so 
earnest  was  the  tone  of  the  inquirers,  that  I  at  once 
saw  that  I  had  placed  myself  in  a  position  of  danger. 

It  appeared  that  I  had  committed  an  imprudence. 
My  humanity  had  hurried  me  to  an  act  that  could  be 
of  no  service  in  saving  the  lives  of  those  I  intended  to 
benefit,  but  was  likely  to  bring  destruction  upon  all,  — 
myself  among  the  rest. 

I  can  scarce  say  that  I  repented  of  what  I  had  done. 
I  should  have  done  the  same  deed  again.  I  could  not 
have  restrained  myself.  I  had  followed  the  promptings 
of  mercy.     How  could  I  have  acted  otherwise  ? 

I  had  such  reflections  at  the  moment,  or  something 
like  them.  I  cannot  exactly  describe  my  thoughts,  for 
a  tumult  of  strange  emotions  was  passing  through  my 
mind. 

I  now  perceived  the  danger  which  threatened  the 
two  rafts :  I  perceived  it  on  looking  back  toward  the 
burning  vessel :  the  blacks  were  threateninf}  to  swim 
after,  and  seek  refuge  upon  the  rafts  !  Large  numbers 
of  them  showed  that  they  had  formed  this  intention. 
It  was  apparent  from  their  movements  and  attitudes. 
They  were  swarming  over  the  bulwarks  and  down  the 
sides.  They  had  gathered  along  the  beam-onds,  and 
seemed  every  moment  on  the  eve  of  launching  their 
bodies  into  the  water ! 


810  RAN   AWAY    TO   SEA, 


CHAPTER    LVII. 

No  wonder  the  sailors  were  alarmed.  Should  the 
blacks  carry  out  their  intention,  enough  of  them  might 
reach  the  raft  to  sink  her,  —  enough  of  them,  perhaps, 
to  fling  the  white  men  into  the  sea  and  themselves  take 
possession  of  that  frail  chance  for  life.  Whatever  might 
be  the  event,  it  was  clear  that,  if  they  came  on,  certain 
destruction  must  result  to  one  or  other,  or  most  likely 
to  all.  As  for  my  companion  and  myself,  we  appeared 
in  a  position  of  greater  peril  even  than  those  upon  the 
raft,  for  we  were  between  them  and  the  threatened  dan- 
ger. But  we  had  no  fears  from  this  source  ;  we  were 
certain  that,  if  no  accident  arose  to  our  craft,  we  could 
propel  it  faster  than  a  man  could  swim,  —  though  so 
little  faster  that  it  would  have  been  a  tight  race  had  we 
been  pursued.  However,  having  so  many  yards  of  start, 
we  had  little  to  fear. 

We  kept  on,  intending  to  overtake  the  raft  and  fasten 
our  floating  planks  alongside  it ;  and  this  purpose,  after 
a  few  minutes,  we  succeeded  in  efiecting. 

Brace  had  cautioned  me  as  we  came  up  to  say  noth- 
ing of  what  I  had  done. 

"  For  your  life  say  nothing,  for  certainly,"  said  he, 
"  they  will  throw  you  into  the  sea  and  me  along  with 
you.     Say  not  a  word,"  wliispered  he,  as  a  final  cau- 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  311 

tion,  —  "  not  a  ■word,  even  if  they  question  you.  I  '11 
answer  them  if  they  do." 

He  was  called  upon  to  do  so,  and  dexterously  did  he 
execute  his  design. 

"  Hilloa ! "  hailed  several  as  we  approached,  —  "  who 
are  ye  ?  Ho !  Brace  and  that  precious  boy,  BUI.  Was 
it  you  that  let  the  niggers  above  board  ?  Was  it  either 
of  you?" 

These  questions  were  put  with  the  usual  vulgar  em- 
bellishments. 

"  No ! "  responded  Brace,  in  an  indignant  tone,  and 
of  course  telling  the  truth  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  — 
"  How  could  we  ?  We  were  down  by  the  bows,  and 
could  n't  see  'em.  I  Avonder  how  they  did  get  loose  ? 
They  must  a  broke  through  when  ye  knocked  off  the 
batten.  I  seed  nothin'  of  'em  tUl  we  were  out  in  the 
water.  I  was  under  the  head  makin'  this  bit  o'  a  raft. 
I  was  affeered  there  would  n't  be  room  for  all,  —  lend  a 
hand  here  one  o'  ye,  and  hitch  this  thing  on,  —  it  '11  help 
to  keep  a  couple  o'  us  afloat  anyhow." 

By  this  appeal  for  help  my  companion  dexterously 
turned  the  conversation,  so  that  no  further  questions 
were  asked  about  who  set  free  the  blacks.  Indeed, 
there  was  no  opportunity  to  talk  any  more  upon  the 
matter,  for  at  this  crisis  the  attention  of  every  one  upon 
the  raft  had  become  earnestly  fixed  upon  that  dark,  red 
cloud  that  clustered  along  the  side  of  the  vessel. 

Strange  to  say,  the  negi'oes  had  been  for  some  min- 
utes in  this  position,  —  with  every  appearance  of  a  jiur- 
pose  to  leap  outward  into  the  water  and  swim  towards 
the  raft,  —  ruid  yet  not  one  of  them  had  sprung  forth ! 


312  EAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

They  seemed  like  men  determined  to  do  a  thin;^,  but 
who  waited  for  a  signal  from  some  leader.  Either  that, 
or  some  one  to  take  the  lead  himself  and  set  the  exam- 
jile, — just  like  a  mob  of  soldiers  crowded  together  on 
the  field  of  battle,  —  as  soldiers  always  are  at  such  times, 
—  prepared  to  charge  forward  and  rush  even  upon  death 
itself,  if  some  bold  spirit  will  only  give  the  word  and  go 
forward  in  advance  of  them. 

So  stood  the  crowd  of  blacks,  threatening  to  plunge 
into  the  sea  and  yet  hesitating  to  do  so. 

We  wondered  at  their  hesitation.  What  could  they 
mean  by  holding  back  ?  The  raft  appeared  the  only 
chance  for  their  lives,  —  though  a  poor  respite  it  would 
be.  Nevertheless,  men  who  are  about  to  be  burned  or 
drowned  will  cling  to  a  less  hope  than  that.  Why,  then, 
did  they  not  jump  overboard  and  swim  after,  as  all  ex- 
pected them  to  have  done  before  this  ?  Could  they 
swim  ?  or  could  they  not  ?  These  were  the  questions 
that  now  passed  rapidly  from  mouth  to  mouth  on  board 
the  raft,  and  were  answered  with  equal  rapidity,  though 
the  answers  were  but  guesses,  and  did  not  correspond. 
They  were  both  negative  and  affu'mative.  Some  alleged 
that  they  could  not.  If  this  were  true,  then  the  posi- 
tion of  affairs  could  be  explained  at  once  :  the  hesita- 
tion of  the  blacks  to  take  to  the  water  would,  upon  this 
hypothesis,  be  easily  understood.  However,  there  were 
but  few  who  held  this  opinion.  It  was  quite  improbable 
that  it  could  be  the  true  one,  —  quite  improbable  tliat  in 
all  that  crowd  there  was  not  any  one  who  could  swim, 
■ — for  even  one  would  have  taken  to  the  sea  in  hopes  of 
findmg  refuge  upon  the  raft,  forlorn  as  the  hope  may 


RAN  awIy  to   sea.  313 

have  been.  No,  the  negative  supposition  was  not  to  be 
entertained  for  a  moment.  It  is  well  known  that  most 
of  the  natives  of  Africa  not  only  SAvim,  but  are  most  ex- 
cellent sAvimmers.  Their  mode  of  life  renders  the  art 
a  necessity  among  them.  Living  on  the  banks  of  great 
rivers,  by  the  shores  of  those  immense  lakes  in  which 
Central  Africa  abounds,  often  requiring  to  cross  streams 
that  are  deep  and  rapid,  and  where  no  bridges  exist, 
these  people  are  compelled  by  their  very  wants  to  be- 
come expert  swimmers.  Besides,  their  hot  climate  ren- 
ders the  exercise  a  pleasant  one,  and  many  tribes  of 
them  spend  half  their  time  in  the  Avater. 

It  was  highly  improbable  that  they  could  not  swim, — 
all,  or  nearly  all,  of  them.  No,  this  Avas  not  the  cause 
of  their  hesitancy. 

And  Avhat  was  ? 

This  question  was  answered  by  one  of  the  sailors,  — 
though  all  of  us  at  the  same  moment  perceived  the 
cause. 

"  Look  yonder ! "  cried  the  man,  pointing  along  the 
water  ;  "  look  yonder ;  yon  's  Avhat  cows  'em,  —  thi 
sharks  1 " 


27  >s,; 


314  BAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    LVIII. 


The  stretch  of  water  that  lay  hetween  the  raft  and 
the  burning  vessel  ghttered  under  the  yellow  light  like 
a  sea  of  molten  gold.  On  its  calm  surface  the  blazing 
barque  was  mirrored,  as  though  another  was  on  fire 
below  ;  but  the  perfect  image  was  broken  by  occasional 
ripples,  as  if  some  living  creatures  were  stirring  through 
the  water.  The  very  intensity  of  the  light,  dazzling 
our  eyes,  prevented  us  from  scanning  the  surface  with 
any  degree  of  minuteness.  It  was  like  looking  against 
the  sun  as  the  bright  orb  rises  or  sets  over  the  sea.  The 
strong  light  glancing  along  the  water  produced  a  sheen 
and  a  sparkle  that  half  blinded  us  ;  and,  although  we 
had  observed  an  occasional-  eddy  or  rippling  motion  up- 
on the  surface,  we  had  not  thought  of  the  cause  until 
that  moment. 

Now,  however,  that  our  attention  was  called  to  this 
moving  of  the  waters,  we  had  no  difficulty  in  making 
out  the  cause.  It  was  the  sharks  that  were  darting 
about,  —  now  rushing  impatiently  from  point  to  point, 
now  lying  in  wait,  silent  and  watchful,  like  cats,  ready 
to  spring  upon  their  prey.  Here  and  there  we  could 
see  their  huge  doi'sal  fins  standing  like  gaff  top-sails 
above  the  surfjice,  now  cleaving  the  water  like  huge 
blades  of  steel,  anon  dipping  below  to  appear  again  at 
some  point  nearer  to  their  expected  prey. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  315 

From  the  number  of  these  fins  that  we  observed 
above  water,  we  came  to  the  conchision  that  there  must 
be  hundreds  of  these  voracious  creatures  around  the 
blazing  barque.  In  fact  there  appeared  a  perfect 
"  school "  of  them,  like  porpoises  or  minnows,  —  for 
the  longer  we  gazed,  the  gi-eater  number  of  fins  and 
rippling  eddies  were  detected,  until  at  times  it  appeared 
as  if  the  whole  surface  was  thickly  covered  with  these 
pi-eying  fish  ! 

Their  numbers,  too,  seemed  to  be  continually  increas- 
ing. On  looking  out  to  sea  others  might  be  noticed 
swimming  up,  as  if  they  had  come  from  a  distance. 
No  doubt  that  red  conflagration  was  a  signal  that  sum- 
moned them  from  afar.  Like  enough  the  sight  was  not 
new  to  them,  —  it  was  not  the  first  time  they  had  wit- 
nessed the  burning  of  a  ship  and  been  present  at  the 
spectacle ;  before  now  they  had  assisted  at  the  denoue- 
ment, and  were  ever  after  ready  to  welcome  such  a 
catastrophe,  and  hasten  towards  it  from  afixr. 

I  really  could  not  help  thinking  that  these  monsters 
of  the  deep  possessed  some  such  intelligence,  as  they 
swam  around  the  fixted  barque,  —  casting  towards  it 
their  ogreish,  expecting  looks. 

They  came  around  the  raft  as  well,  —  indeed,  they 
appeared  to  be  thicker  there  than  elsewhere,  —  as 
though  we  who  stood  upon  it  were  to  be  the  prey  that 
would  first  fall  into  their  ravenous  jaws.  So  thick  were 
they,  that  two  and  three  could  be  seen  side  by  side, 
swimming  together  as  though  they  were  yoked ;  and  at 
each  moment  they  grew  bolder  and  came  nearer  to  the 
timbers.  Some  already  swam  so  close  to  tlie  raft,  that 
they  were  within  reach  of  a  blow  from  the  haud-spikes, 


316  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

but  not  any  one  attempted  to  toucli  them.  On  the  con- 
trary, tlie  word  was  passed  round  for  no  one  to  strike 
or  assail  them  in  any  way.  Just  then  they  were  doing 
good  work  ;  they  were  to  be  let  alone  ! 

Little  as  the  sailors  would  have  liked  to  see  such 
shoals  of  these  dreaded  creatures  at  any  other  time,  — 
for  between  sailor  and  shark  there  is  a  constant  antip- 
athy, — just  then  the  sight  was  welcome  to  them.  They 
knew  that  they  themselves  were  out  of  reach  of  the  hid- 
eous monsters ;  and  at  a  glance  they  had  comprehended 
the  advantage  they  were  deriving  from  their  presence. 
They  saw  that  they  were  the  guardians  of  the  raft,  — 
and  that,  but  for  them,  the  blacks  would  long  since  have 
taken  to  the  Avater  and  followed  it.  The  fear  of  the 
sharks  alone  restrained  them ;  and  no  wonder  it  did,  for 
the  whole  surface  of  the  sea  between  the  blazing  vessel 
and  the  raft  now  seemed  alive  with  these  horrid  crea- 
tures ! 

It  was  no  longer  wondered  at,  that  the  negroes  had 
not  precipitated  themselves  into  the  water  and  swam 
after  us.  It  would  have  been  a  bold  leaji  for  any  of 
them  to  have  taken,  —  a  leaj),  as  it  were,  into  the  very 
jaws  of  death. 

And,  yet,  death  was  behind  them,  —  death  quick  and 
sure,  and,  perhaps,  of  all  others  the  most  painful,  — 
death  by  fire.  In  setting  the  poor  wretches  free,  I  had 
been  under  the  humane  impression  that  I  had  given 
them  the  easier  alternative  of  being  drowaied.  I  now 
saw  that  I  was  mistaken.  No  such  alternative  was  in 
their  power.  There  was  no  longer  a  choice  between 
burning  and  drowning.  It  now  lay  between  burning 
and  beinjr  devoured  by  the  sharks  / 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  317 


CHAPTER     LIX, 


An  awful  alternative  it  was,  and  for  a  long  while 
the  ill-starred  victims  seemed  to  linger  in  their  diorce. 
Hard  choice  between  two  horrid  forms  of  death  !  Little 
did  it  matter  which,  and  the  knowledge  of  this  rendered 
them  indifferent  whether  to  spring  forth  or  stand  still. 
Death  was  before  them  as  well  as  behind,  —  turn  which 
way  they  might,  death  stared  them  in  the  face,  —  soon 
and  certain,  —  and  on  every  side  they  saw  its  threat- 
ening arm,  —  before,  behind,  above,  and  around  them. 
The  utter  hopelessness  of  escape  had  numbed  their 
energies,  —  they  were  paralyzed  by  despair. 

But  even  in  the  hour  of  the  most  hopeless  despair 
there  arrives  a  crisis  Avlien  men  will  still  struggle  for 
life,  —  it  is  tlie  last  struggle,  —  the  final  conflict,  as  it 
were,  with  death  itself.  No  one  yields  up  life  without 
this  eflTort,  thougli  it  be  ever  so  idle.  The  drowning 
man  does  not  voluntarily  permit  himself  to  sink  below 
the  surface.  He  still  strives  to  keep  afloat,  though  he 
may  not  have  the  sliglitest  hope  of  being  rescued.  The 
effort  is  partly  involuntary,  —  it  is  the  body  that  still 
continues  to  battle  for  life,  nflcr  the  mind  has  resigned 
all  hope,  —  the  last  stand  (hat  existence  makes  against 
annihilation.  It  may  be  a  purely  mechanical  effort, — 
perhaps  it  is  so,  —  but  who  ever  saw  a  strong  man 
27* 


318  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

compelled  to  part  suddenly  with  life,  that  did  not  make 
such  a  struggle  ?  Even  the  condemned  criminal  upon 
the  gallows  continues  to  strive  till  the  breath  has  parted 
from  his  body.  Something  like  this  last  despairing  effort 
aroused  the  energies  of  that  hesitating  crowd  that  clus- 
tered upon  the  burning  barque.  The  crisis  at  length 
came. 

The  flames  were  fast  rushing  forward,  and  spread- 
ing over  all  the  deck.  Their  red  jets,  spurting  out 
beyond  l^he  selvage  of  smoke,  began  to  touch  the  bodies 
of  their  victims,  and  pain  them  with  the  fierce  sting  of 
fire.  It  produced  no  augmentation  in  their  cries  of 
agony.  These  had  long  since  reached  the  climax,  and 
the  voices  of  those  who  uttered  them  had  been  already 
raised  to  their  highest  pitch.  But  the  close  proximity 
of  the  flames,  and  the  absolute  certainty  of  being  now 
destroyed  by  them,  caused  a  general  movement  through- 
out the  living  mass  ;  and,  as  if  actuated  by  an  universal 
impulse,  or  guided  by  one  common  instinct,  all  were 
seen  making  a  sudden  descent  upon  the  water. 

Those  who  had  been  hitherto  standing  along  the 
side  were  not  the  first  to  leap.  It  was  they  who  were 
farther  back,  and  of  course  nearer  to  the  flames,  who 
first  took  to  the  water ;  and  these,  rushing  over  the 
bulwarks,  —  and  even  stepping  upon  the  shoulders  of 
those  who  were  clustered  there,  —  without  further  hesi- 
tation flung  themselves  headlong  into  the  sea.  But  the 
impulse  seemed  to  communicate  itself  to  the  others, 
and  almost  instantaneously  —  as  if  some  one  had  j^ro- 
claimed  a  way  to  safety  and  was  leading  them  on  to  it  — 
the  whole  crowd  followed  the  foremost  and  went  plung- 
ing into  the  water.     In  a  few  seconds  not  au  individual 


EAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  319 

could  be  seen,  —  of  all  that  dark  swarm  that  had  so 
lately  crowded  the  fore-part  of  the  vessel,  not  one  was 
now  visible  on  board.  Simultaneously  had  they  de- 
serted the  bui'ning  wreck! 

A  wild  scene  was  now  presented  in  the  water.  The 
whole  surface  was  thick  with  human  forms,  plunging 
and  struggling  together.  Some  were  evidently  unable 
to  swim,  and,  with  their  bodies  half  erect,  were  tossing 
their  arms  about  in  vain  efforts  to  keep  above  the 
surface.  Here  and  there  several  clung  together,  until 
two  or  three  —  or  in  some  instances  larger  groups  — 
dragged  one  another  below,  and  sank  to  the  bottom 
together.  Strong  swimmers  were  observed  separating 
from  the  rest,  and  forging  out  into  the  open  water. 
Of  these  the  heads  only  could  be  seen,  and  rapidly 
closing  upon  them  the  dark  vertical  fin  that  told  the 
presence  of  the  pursuing  shark. 

Then  could  be  heard  the  wild,  despairing  cry,  — 
then  could  be  seen  the  quick  rush  of  the  monster  upon 
his  prey,  —  the  water  lashed  by  his  tail,  —  the  foam 
thrown  up,  already  tinged  with  the  blood  of  the  victim, 
—  and,  after  that,  the  surface  returning  to  its  level,  — 
the  eddies  and  red  frothing  bubbles  alone  marking  for 
a  few  moments  the  scene  of  each  tragical  crisis. 

Oh  !  it  Avas  an  awful  spectacle  to  look  upon,  —  this 
wholesale  ravening  of  sharks,  —  and  even  those  who 
were  upon  the  raft,  with  all  their  inhumanity  and 
heartless  cruelty  of  disposition,  could  not  behold  it 
without  emotion. 

It  was  scai'ce  an  emotion  of  pity,  however.  Per- 
haps of  all,  Brace  and  I  were  the  only  ones  who  felt 
pity.     Some  were  indifferent,  but  the  majority  of  them 


320  KAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

—  altlioiigli  a  little  awed  by  the  tragical  scene  —  were 
actually  glad  at  beholding  it !  It  may  be  wrong  of  me 
to  say  they  were  glad,  —  what  I  mean  is,  that  they 
felt  a  secret  satisfaction  at  what  was  going  on,  — 
springing  not  from  pure  wanton  cruelty  of  heart,  but 
rather  from  an  instinct  of  self-preservation.  Hitherto, 
these  men  had  been  in  great  dread  of  the  blacks  over- 
taking the  raft,  —  they  were  not  yet  free  from  the  fear, 

—  and,  of  course,  with  this  in  their  minds,  they  re- 
garded with  satisfaction  the  wholesale  ravage  that  the 
sharks  were  committing.  By  this  their  own  danger 
was  every  moment  diminished,  —  hence  it  is  that  they 
were  gratified  at  the  hideous  spectacle. 

But  numerous  as  Avere  the  shai-ks,  there  were  not 
enough  of  them  to  make  total  destruction  of  that  vast 
crowd  of  human  beings.  After  the  first  general  attack 
the  ravenous  brutes  appeared  to  become  scarcer  and 
scarcer,  until  but  one  here  and  one  there  could  be 
seen  rushing  upon  their  prey.  The  greater  number, 
having  already  secured  a  victim,  were  satisfied,  and 
perhaps  had  gone  down  to  their  haunts  in  the  darker 
deep,  —  while  hundreds  of  human  heads  were  still 
observable  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 

The  flames,  still  flaring  brilliantly,  illumined  the  sea 
as  if  day  were  shining  upon  it ;  and  it  could  be  observed 
that  the  faces  of  the  survivors  were  all  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  raft,  towards  wliich  they  were  swim- 
ming with  all  their  strength. 

Once  more  the  sailors  became  inspired  with  appre- 
hension, —  once  more  they  dreaded  that  their  last  hour 
was  come,  and  that  they  themselves  might  soon  be 
struggling  among  the  shai'ks! 


RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  321 


CHAPTER    LX 


There  was  much  shouting  among  the  white  men, 
and  many  wild  exclamations,  but  -  no  time  was  lost 
in  idle  talk,  —  for  every  one  was  doing  his  best  to 
propel  the  raft.  The  shouts  were  only  an  accompani- 
ment to  their  actions.  Nearly  every  one  wielded  some 
implement,  which  had  been  grappled  in  the  hurry  of 
the  moment.  Some  were  provided  with  oars,  others 
had  only  handspikes,  and  still  others  assisted  in  paddling 
with  pieces  of  board  that  had  been  obtained  from  old 
coops,  or  the  bulwarks  broken  by  the  falling  mast. 
Those  Avho  could  find  nothing  better  stretched  them- 
selves along  the  edge  of  the  raft  and  beat  the  water 
with  their  hands,  in  order  to  aid  in  producing  a  forward 
motion. 

But  the  great  masses  of  timber  —  not  yet  firmly 
lashed  together  —  lay  loose  and  loggi^h  upon  the  water, 
and  moved  very  slowly  and  irregularly  under  such  ill- 
assorted  propulsion  ;  and,  notwithstanding  that  the  raft 
had  obtained  a  hundred  yards  the  start  of  the  swimmers, 
its  occupants  began  seriously  to  dread  being  overtaken. 

They  had  reason  to  fear  it.  There  could  be  no  doubt 
that  the  pursuers  were  gaining  upon  us,  and  this  soon 
became  evident  to  all  upon  the  raft.  Nay,  more,  they 
were  gaining  rapidly  ;  and,  at  the  rate  at  which  they 


322  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

were  swimming,  five  minutes  could  not  pass  before  the7 
would  overtake  us. 

Those  upon  the  raft  were  now  quite  conscious  that 
such  would  be  the  event.  Paddle  and  beat  the  water 
as  they  might,  they  could  not  propel  the  heavy  timbers 
beyond  a  certain  rate  of  speed,  —  not  so  fast  as  a  man 
could  swim.  Notwithstanding  their  exertions,  and  the 
advantage  of  their  long  start,  they  saw  they  wet-e  going  - 
to  be  overtaken.  \ 

It  could  not  be  otherwise,  —  there  was  nothing  now 
to  obstruct  the  pursuit,  —  nothing  to  stay  the  pursuers. 
The  sharks,  having  sated  their  appetites,  had  let  most 
of  the  swimmers  escape.  Occasionally  one  was  seen  to 
go  down  with  a  shriek,  but  this  was  the  exception,  — 
the  rest  swam  freely  on. 

What  was  their  motive  in  following  us?  Was  it 
vengeance,  or  a  despairing  hope  of  being  saved  ?  Per- 
haps both,  —  but  no  matter  which,  there  were  enough 
of  them  to  overpower  the  white  men  by  sheer  strength  ; 
and,  once  they  succeeded  in  reaching  us,  it  was  not 
likely  they  would  fail  to  avenge  themselves  for  the 
wrongs  that  had  been  put  upon  them. 

Should  they  succeed  in  overtaking  the  raft,  they 
would  easily  climb  upon  it ;  a  few  might  be  kept  back, 
but  it  would  be  impossible  for  thirty  men  to  repulse 
hundreds ;  and  the  crowd  would  soon  crawl  over  the 
edge,  and,  with  their  additional  weight,  sink  the  frail 
structure  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

Should  they  succeed  in  reaching  the  raft !  —  there 
was  no  need  of  any  supposition,  —  they  would  be  certain 
to  overtake  it,  —  even  at  that  moment  there  were  some 


RAN    AWA.Y    TO    SEA.  323 

of  them  scarce  ten  yards  off,  and  coming  neai-er  at 
every  fresh  stroke  of  their  arms.  These,  however,  were 
the  strongest  swimmers,  who  were  far  ahead  of  the  rest. 
The  main  body  were  still  twenty  yards  further  off;  but 
it  was  plain  that  the  slowest  of  them  swam  faster  than 
the  raft  was  moving. 

IMost  of  the  sailors  began  to  give  way  to  despair. 
The  wicked  deeds  of  an  ill-spent  hfe  were  rising  before 
them.     To  all  appearance  their  last  hour  had  come. 

And  mine,  too,  —  at  least,  so  believed  I  at  that 
moment. 

It  was  hard  to  die  thus,  —  by  such  horrid  means,  and 
in  such  company.  Sound  in  health,  the  love  of  life 
was  strong  within  me  ;  and  under  this  impulse  I  almost 
repented  what  I  had  done.  It  was  I  who  had  brought 
about  this  last  terrible  contingency,  and  my  own  hfe 
was  now  to  be  the  forfeit.  Yes ;  I  had  acted  impru- 
dently, rashly,  and  I  will  not  deny  that  at  that  moment 
I  came  near  repenting  of  what  I  had  done. 

It  was  not  a  time  for  reflection.  The  crisis  had 
arrived.  We  must  all  yield  up  life.  The  sea  would 
soon  receive  us  within  its  ample  embrace.  Masters 
and  slaves,  tjTants  and  their  victims,  must  all  perish 
together ! 

Such  were  the  thoughts  that  were  rushing  through 
my  brnin,  as  I  saw  the  black  swimmers  approach.  I 
no  longer  felt  sympathy  or  pity  for  them.  On  the 
contrary,  I  viewed  them  as  enemies,  —  as  dreaded 
monsters  who  were  about  to  destroy  and  devour  us,  — 
to  engulf  us  all  in  one  common  destruction,  and  among 
the   rest  myself,  —  their   late   benefactor.     Really,   at 


324  HAN    AWAY    TO    SEA. 

that  moment,  in  the  confusion  of  my  thoughts,  I  was 
regarding  these  unfortunate  creatures  as  though  they 
were  voluntary  agents,  —  as  though  they  were  actuated 
by  gratuitous  cruelty  and  revenge,  and  not  victims  of 
despair  struggling  for  the  preservation  of  their  own  lives. 

My  senses  had  become  confused ;  my  reasoning 
faculties  had  forsaken  me ;  and,  in  common  with  those 
around  me,  I  regarded  the  pursuers  as  enemies ! 

Under  this  impression,  —  false  though  it  may  have 
been,  —  I  was  the  less  disposed  to  sympathize  with 
them,  Avhen  I  saw  the  first  Avho  came  near  the  raft 
beaten  back  by  the  oars  and  handspikes  of  the  sailors ; 
for  to  this  it  had  now  come. 

It  was  a  cruel  scene  that  followed.  I  took  no  part  in 
it.  Though  ever  so  desirous  that  my  hfe  should  be 
saved,  I  could  never  have  gone  to  such  extremes  to 
preserve  it.     I  was  but  a  looker-on. 

I  saw  the  foremost  swimmers  struck  vipon  the  head, 
or  pushed  away  by  violent  "jobbing  "  from  the  oars  and 
handspikes.  I  saw  some  disappear  below  the  surface, 
as  if  they  had  gone  to  the  bottom  under  the  blow,  while 
others,  not  injured,  swam  off,  and  then  circled  I'ound  as 
if  to  get  ahead  of  us. 

Though  the  fiex'ce,  angry  shouts,  and  the  still  fiercer 
actions  of  the  white  men  intimidated  the  foremost 
swimmers,  these  demonstrations  did  not  drive  them 
away.  They  only  kept  out  of  reach  of  the  oars  and 
handspikes,  but  still  followed  on.  Indeed,  they  no 
longer foUoived ;  for  the  raft  was  no  longer  in  motion; 
the  rowers  had  enough  to  do  without  propelhng  it 
farther,  and  it  had  now  come  to  a  stand  still ! 


KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  325 


CHAPTER    LXI. 


It  soon  became  evident  that  the  foremost  swimmers, 
who  had  been  for  the  moment  repulsed,  had  no  intention 
of  turning  back.  Why  shouUl  they  ?  Behind  them 
they  had  left  no  hope,  —  not  a  plank  to  cling  to,  —  only 
a  ship  on  fire  blazing  upward  to  the  skies  and  now  al- 
most hid  under  the  flames.  Even  she,  before  they 
could  reach  her,  would  be  burned  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  Why  should  they  think  of  swimming  back  ? 
No ;  tlie  raft  was  the  only  thing  upon  the  whole  face  of 
that  wide  sea  upon  which  human  foot  might  now  find  a 
resting-place.  Tliough  it  would  be  but  a  straw  among 
so  many,  at  that  straw  had  they  determined  to  clutch, 
so  long  as  life  remained.  They  had  no  design  of  leaving 
us,  but  now  swam  round  and  round  the  floating  spars, 
evidently  waiting  until  their  main  body  could  come  up,  so 
tliat  all  might  rush  forward  together  and  get  possession 
of  the  raft.  This  was  plainly  their  intention  ;  and 
knowing  it,  the  white  men  were  fast  yielding  to  despair. 

Not  all  of  them.  There  were  some  of  those  rough 
men  who  still  preserved  their  presence  of  mind ;  and 
in  that  perilous  hour,  when  all  hope  appeared  to  have 
vanished,  these  men  suddenly  hit  upon  a  plan  to  save 
the  raft,  and  the  lives  of  those  upon  it,  from  the  appar- 
ently inevitable  fate  tliat  threatened  them. 
28 


326  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

I  was,  myself,  in  a  state  of  half-stupor.  I  had 
watched  the  movements  of  the  poor  wretches  in  the 
water  till  my  head  grew  giddy,  and  I  scarce  knew 
what  was  going  on  around  me.  My  face  was  turned 
towards  the  blazing  ship,  and  I  had  not  for  a  long 
while  looked  elsewhere.  I  heard  the  sailors  ejaculat- 
ing loudly,  and  shouting  words  of  encouragement ;  but 
I  supposed  they  were  encouraging  each  other  to  repel 
the  attack  of  the  swimmers,  who  were  now  on  all  sides 
of  the  raft,  forming  a  sort  of  irregular  ring  around  it 
of  several  in  depth.  I  was  expecting  that  we  would 
soon  be  sinking  into  the  sea !  I  was  stupefied,  and  I 
thought  I  was  dreaming. 

All  of  a  sudden  I  was  aroused  from  my  stupor  by 
hearing  a  loud  huzza.  It  came  from  the  sailors  behind 
me.  I  could  not  tell  its  meaning  till  I  turned  round, 
and  then,  to  my  surprise,  I  saw  a  piece  of  sail  spread 
out  transversely  across  the  raft,  and  held  by  several 
men  in  a  vertical  position.  There  was  one  at  each  end 
and  one  in  the  middle,  who,  with  their  arms  extended 
upward,  held  the  sail  as  high  as  they  could  reach. 

For  what  purpose  were  they  doing  this  ?  I  needed 
not  ask  the  question.  I  saw  that  there  was  wind  blow- 
ing against  the  canvas.    I  felt  the  breeze  upon  my  cheeks. 

I  looked  back  to  the  water.  I  saw  that  the  raft  was 
moving  rapidly  through  it.  There  was  a  rushing 
along  the  edge  of  the  timbei's,  —  there  was  froth  where 
the  spars  were  cleaving  the  sea.  I  looked  for  the 
swimmers.  I  saw  their  round  heads  and  grim  faces, 
but  no  longer  around  the  raft,  —  they  Avere  already  in 
its  Avake,  every  moment  falling  farther  away.  Merciful 
Heaven  !  at  least  from  that  terrible  fate  were  we  saved. 


EAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  327 

I  kept  gazing  beliind.  I  still  saw  the  dark  heads 
above  the  water.  I  could  no  longer  distinguish  their  faces. 
I  thought  they  had  turned  them  away.  I  thought 
they  were  swunming  back  toward  the  blazing  barque. 

They  may  have  turned  back,  but  with  what  hope  ? 
They  could  have  had  none  ;  though  despair  may  have 
driven  them  in  that  direction  as  well  as  any  other. 

It  was  a  sad  beacoti  to  guide  them ;  nor  did  it  serve 
them  long.  They  could  not  have  got  near  it  —  not 
half-way  —  befox'e  that  event,  so  dreaded  by  Brace  and 
myself,  came  to  pass.     The  crisis  had  at  length  arrived. 

Wherever  the  powder  had  been  kept,  it  was  long 
before  the  fire  had  reached  it,  —  far  longer  than  we 
had  expected ;  but  the  searching  flames  found  it  at  last, 
and  the  concussion  came. 

It  was  a  tei-rific  explosion,  that  resfembled  not  the 
report  of  a  cannon,  but  a  hundred  guns  simultaneously 
fired.  Red  masses  were  projected  far  up  into  the  heav- 
ens, and  still  farther  out  to  the  sea,  hurtling  and  hiss- 
ing as  they  fell  back  into  the  water.  A  cloud  of  fiery 
sparks  hung  for  some  minutes  over  the  spot ;  but  these 
at  length  came  quivering  down,  and  as  soon  as  they 
reached  the  surface  were  observed  no  more.  These 
sparks  were  the  last  that  was  seen  of  the  Pandora. 

The  crew  at  this  moment  were  awed  into  silence. 
There  was  silence  far  over  the  sea ;  yet  for  nearly 
another  hour  that  silence  was  at  intervals  broken  by 
the  death-shriek  of  some  exhausted  swimmer  or  some 
Aictim  of  the  ravening  shark. 

The  breeze  still  continued  to  blow,  the  raft  moved 
on,  and  long  before  morning  the  Pandora's  crew  were 
carried  far  away  from  the  scene  of  the  terrible  tragedy. 


328  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    LXII. 

The  breeze  died  away  before  the  morning,  and  when 
day  broke  there  was  not  a  breath  stirring.  The  calm 
had  returned,  and  the  raft  lay  upon  the  water  as  motion- 
less as  a  log. 

The  men  no  longer  tried  to  propel  it ;  it  could  have 
served  no  purpose  to  make  way,  —  since,  go  in  what 
direction  we  might,  there  would  be  hundreds  of  miles 
of  the  ocean  to  be  crossed,  and  to  sail  a  raft  over  that 
long  distance  was  not  to  be  thought  of. 

Had  there  been  a  stock  of  provisions  and  water,  suf- 
ficient to  have  lasted  for  weeks,  then  such  an  idea 
would  have  been  more  feasible ;  but  there  was  nothing 
of  this,  and  the  idea  of  sailing  in  search  of  land  was 
not  entertained  for  a  moment.  The  only  hope  was  that 
a  sail  might  appear  in  sight,  that  some  ship  might  be 
passing  across  the  ocean,  and  come  sufficiently  near  to 
see  us  and  pick  us  up.  One  and  all  were  agreed  that 
this  was  our  only  chance  of  being  saved. 

A  cheerless  chance  it  appeared  when  examined  in  all 
its  bearings ;  so  cheerless,  indeed,  that  only  the  most 
sanguine  of  the  party  drew  any  hope  from  it.  Notwith- 
standing the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  ships  that  are 
constantly  ploughing  the  mighty  deep,  and  sailing  from 
port  to  port,  you  will  meet  with  but  a  very  few  of  them 


KAN    AWAY    TO     SEA.  329' 

on  any  long  voyage  you  may  make.  You  may  go  from 
England  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  without  seeing 
more  than  one  or  two  sail  during  the  whole  passage  !  and 
yet  that  would  be  travelling  upon  one  of  the  great  high- 
ways of  the  ocean,  —  in  the  track  of  all  the  ships  sailing 
to  the  vast  Avorld  of  the  East  Indies,  and  also  to  those 
prosperous  commercial  colonies  of  Australia,  whose  mer- 
cantile marine  almost  rivals  that  of  England  herself. 
Again,  you  may  cross  the  Atlantic  upon  another  great 
waterway,  —  that  between  Liverpool  and  New  York,  — 
and  yet  between  one  port  and  the  other  you  may  see 
less  than  half  a  dozen  sail,  and  sometimes  only  two  f>r 
three,  during  the  whole  of  your  voyage.  Vast  and 
■wide  are  the  highways  of  the  great  ocean. 

With  a  knowledge  of  these  facts,  bufc  few  of  the  men 
indulged  in  any  very  strong  expectation  of  our  coming 
in  sight  of  a  sail.  We  were  in  that  very  part  of  the 
Atlantic  where  the  chances  of  such  an  encounter  wei-e 
few  and  far  between.  We  Avere  out  of  the  line  of  nav- 
igation between  any  tAvo  great  commercial  countries ; 
and  although  formerly  Spanish  vessels  had  travelled  a 
good  deal  near  the  track  we  were  in,  —  in  their  inter- 
course with  their  South  American  colonies,  —  this  inter- 
course had  been  greatly  diminished  by  revolution,  and 
most  of  the  traffic  with  these  countries  was  now  carried 
on  in  vessels  belonging  to  the  United  States,  and  these 
were  not  likely  to  sail  so  far  to  the  eastward  as  Ave  Avere. 
Portuguese  ships  still  traded  to  the  Brazils  in  consider- 
able numbers,  and  upon  these  Ave  built  most  of  our 
hopes,  —  these  and  the  chances  that  some  ship  engaged 
in  the  same  traffic  as  the  Pandora  might  be  crossing 
28* 


S30  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

westward  with  slaves,  or  returning  for  a  fresh  cargo. 
There  were  jet  other  vessels  that  occasionally  navigated 
this  part  of  the  Atlantic,  —  cruisers  on  their  way  from 
the  African  coast  to  the  Brazils,  or  war-ships  from  Gib- 
raltar, going  round  the  Horn  into  the  Pacific,  or  passing 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the  West  Indies. 

AU  these  chances  were  eagerly  brought  forward  by 
the  men,  and  discussed  with  every  circumstance  of 
minuteness.  Every  point  was  produced  that  seemed  to 
promise  a  hope  of  deUverance  ;  for  most,  if  not  all,  of 
these  outlaws  were  seamen  of  experience,  and  well 
knew  the  ways  of  the  ocean.  Some  held  the  opinion 
that  our  chances  of  being  picked  up  were  not  so  bad 
after  all.  There  was  a  sail  that  could  be.  rigged,  by 
means  of  oars  and  handspikes,  and  spread  out  so  as  to 
be  visible  from  afar.  Some  ship  would  be  certain  to 
come  along  and  see  us,  and  then  all  would  be  right 
again. 

So  talked  those  of  more  sanguine  temperament ; 
but  the  wiser  ones  shook  their  heads  and  doubted. 
They  reasoned  in  an  opposite  strain,  and  made  use  of 
arguments  the  force  of  which  could  not  be  denied,  and 
which  produced  great  discouragement.  There  are  some 
who  seem  always  to  prefer  exhibiting  the  darker  side 
of  the  picture,  —  perhaps  not  from  any  pleasure  that  it 
gives  them  to  do  so,  but,  by  accustoming  themselves  to 
the  worst  view  of  the  case,  they  may  be  the  better  able 
to  endure  it  when  it  comes.  Otherwise,  in  the  event  of 
success,  that  they  may  derive  all  the  greater  enjoyment 
from  the  reaction. 

These  last  alleged  that  the  chances  of  meeting  with 


KAN   AWxi.Y    TO    SEA.  331 

anv  vessel  in  that  solitary  part  of  the  ocean  were  slight, 
very  slight  indeed ;  that  even  if  there  were  ships,  — 
hundreds  of  them,  —  how  could  they  approach  the  raft 
during  a  calm  ?  Of  course  the  ships  would  he  becahned 
as  they  themselves  were,  and  would  have  to  remain  so 
as  long  as  the  calm  continued.  This  would  be  likely 
to  last  for  weeks,  and  how  were  they  to  exist  for  weeks  ? 
How  long  would  their  provisions  keep  them  alive  ? 
Not  weeks  ;  a  few  days  perhaps,  not  more  ? 

These  remai-ks  led  to  an  immediate  examination  of 
the  stock  of  provisions  that  had  been  brought  away 
from  the  wreck ;  and  every  article  on  the  raft  was 
now  turned  up  and  scrutinized.  Strange  to  say,  the  only 
thing  of  which  there  was  a  tolerable  supply  was  water. 
The  large  cask  that  had  hitherto  stood  on  deck  —  and 
which  was  still  nearly  half  fuU  —  was  now  upon  the 
raft.  It  had  been  bunged  up  and  rolled  overboard,  and 
then  safely  deposited  among  the  spars,  where  it  floated 
of  itself.  What  water  may  have  been  carried  away  in 
the  gig  no  one  knew,  but  certain  it  was  that  the  cask 
was  still  nearly  half  full. 

This  discovery  produced  a  momentary  cheerfulness, 
—  for,  in  such  cases,  water  is  usually  the  most  impor- 
tant consideration,  and  ofttimes  the  very  one  that  is 
neglected. 

But  the  joy  was  of  short  continuance ;  when  every 
article  upon  the  raft  was  overhauled,  and  every  portion  of 
it  carefully  searched,  the  only  food  that  could  be  found 
was  a  small  bag  of  biscuits,  —  not  enough  to  give  two 
biscuits  to  each  of  us,  —  not  enough  tor  a  single  meal ! 

This  astounding  inteUisrence  was  received  with  cries 


332  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

of  chagrin  and  looks  of  dismay.  Some  shouted  in 
anger.  One  half  recriminated  the  other.  Some  had 
been  intrusted  specially  to  provide  the  food.  These 
alleged  that  a  barrel  of  pork  had  been  put  upon  the 
raft.  Where  was  it  ?  Certainly  there  was  a  barrel ; 
but,  on  breaking  it  open,  to  the  dismay  of  all,  it  proved 
to  be  a  barrel  of  pitch  I 

A  scene  now  ensued  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
describe.  Oaths,  exclamations,  and  angry  words  jiassed 
freely,  and  the  men  almost  came  to  blows.  The  pitch 
was  thrown  into  the  sea,  and  those  who  had  put  it 
upon  the  raft  were  threatened  with  a  similar  fate. 
Their  negligence  would  prove  fatal  to  all.  But  for 
them  there  might  still  have  been  a  chance ;  but  now, 
what  hope  ?  With  two  biscuits  apiece,  how  long  could 
they  exist?  Not  three  days,  without  suffering  the 
extreme  of  hunger.  Ere  a  week  should  pass,  one  and 
all  must  perish ! 

The  probability,  nay,  the  positive  certainty,  of  such 
a  doom  produced  a  scene  of  despondence,  —  mingled 
with  angry  excitement  on  the  pai't  of  those  who  called 
themselves  "  betrayed,"  —  that  it  would  be  difficult  to 
paint.  Harsh  revilings  were  freely  used ;  and  threats 
of  throwing  the  delinquents  into  the  sea  continued  to  be 
uttered  at  intervals  during  the  whole  night. 

There  was  still  another  barrel  upon  the  raft,  that  had 
been  better  left  upon  the  burning  wreck.  But  it  Avas  not 
likely  that  it  should  be  forgotten.  Its  contents  were  of 
a  nature  too  highly  prized,  by  the  sailor  who  fears 
death  by  drowning,  or  any  other  sudden  or  violent 
means.     It  is  supposed  to  make  death  easy,  and  there- 


r.AN   AATAY    TO    SEA.  333 

fore  the  despairing  wretch  chngs  to  it  as  a  friend.  It 
is  a  sad  resource,  an  awful  termination  to  hunian  ex- 
istence ;  but  often  is  it  appealed  to  in  the  last  moments 
of  misery.  I  need  not  say  that  this  barrel  contained 
rum. 

Whether  it  was  the  same  that  had  been  lowered  into 
the  long-boat  with  such  pernicious  effect,  I  cannot  say. 
Perhaps  it  was.  It  may  have  floated  and  been  picked 
lip  again ;  or  it  may  have  been  still  another  one,  for 
among  the  stores  of  the  ill-fated  barque  there  was  a 
plentiful  supply  of  tliis  horrible  liquor.  It  constituted 
the  chief  "  tipple  "  of  the  dissipated  crew,  —  the  main 
source  of  their  indulgence  and  bestial  enjoyment.  A 
vile,  cheap  stuff  it  Avas,  freely  served  out  to  them,  scarce 
kept  under  lock  and  key ;  and  there  was  not  an  hour 
in  which  one  or  another  of  them  might  not  have  been 
seen  refreshing  himself  at  this  odious  fountain.  If  the 
barrel  of  pork  had  been  forgotten  and  left  behind,  here 
was  a  substitute ;  and  the  sight  of  this  reeking  cask, 
strange  to  say,  produced  a  cheering  effect  upon  numbers 
of  those  savage  men.  Many  were  heai'd  proclaiming, 
in  a  sort  of  jocular  bravado,  that,  if  the  rum  would  n't 
keep  them  alive,  it  would  help  them  to  die  ! 


334  EAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER     LXIII. 

As  soon  as  day  dawned,  every  eye  was  bent  upon  the 
horizon.  Not  a  point  of  the  whole  circle  that  was  not 
scanned  with  the  minutest  earnestness  by  one  and  all. 
Round  and  round  they  turned,  sweeping  the  surface 
with  anxious  glances,  and  raising  themselves  as  high  as 
they  could  in  order  to  command  the  most  distant  view. 

But  all  ended  in  disappointment.  No  sail  was  in  sight ; 
nothing  that  had  life  or  motion ;  not  even  fish  or  fowl  broke 
the  monotony  of  that  vast  surface  of  sleeping  water. 

There  were  no  signs  of  the  gig,  —  she  must  have 
rowed  off  in  some  different  direction ;  no  signs  either 
of  the  wreck,  —  the  breeze  had  carried  us  far  from  it ; 
but  even  had  we  remained  near,  there  might  have 
been  seen  no  traces  of  it.  All  had  long  since  gone  to 
the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

The  sun  rose  higher  and  higher,  and  at  noon  stood 
right  over  our  heads.  We  had  no  protection  from  his 
beams,  —  they  were  almost  hot  enough  to  blister  us. 

The  calm  continued,  —  thei'e  was  not  enough  motion 
in  the  air  to  have  wafted  a  feather,  and  the  raft  lay 
as  still  as  if  it  had  been  aground.  It  only  moved  when 
those  who  were  on  it  passed  from  place  to  place. 

There  was  not  much  changing  about.  There  was  no 
great  room  for  it.  There  were  in  all  thirty-four  of  us, 
and  the  bodies  of  the  men  —  some  sitting  and  others 


KAN    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  335 

lying  —  covered  nearly  the  whole  space.  There  "was 
no  reason  for  moving  about.  Most  were  sullen  and 
despondent,  and  kept  the  places  they  had  first  taken, 
without  the  energy  to  stir  out  of  them.  Others  were 
of  lighter  heart,  or,  under  the  influence  of  the  rum 
which  they  drank  freely,  were  more  noisy.  Now  and 
then  there  was  wrangling  among  them. 

The  sea  was  frequently  scanned,  roimd  and  round, 
to  the  very  borders  of  the  sky. 

This  duty  was  neither  forgotten  nor  overlooked. 
There  was  always  some  one  rising  to  his  feet  and 
gazing  outward,  but  only  to  return  to  his  former  po- 
sition, with  that  disheartening  look  that  proclaimed  how 
vain  his  reconnoissance  had  been.  Indeed,  silence  itself 
was  a  sufficient  reply.  No  one  would  have  discovered 
a  sail,  without  making  instant  announcement  of  it. 

At  noon  we  were  all  suffering  from  thii-st ;  they  who 
had  been  regaling  themselves  with  rum  worse  than 
any,  —  for  this  is  the  sure  result. 

Water  was  served  out  from  the  cask,  —  in  equal 
quantity  to  each.  It  was  agreed  that  all  should  share 
alike,  both  of  the  water  and  the  bread,  —  and  of  the 
former  it  was  resolved  that  each  should  receive  a  pint 
a  day.  In  any  other  situation  the  allowance  might 
have  been  sufficient,  and  existence  might  be  supported 
upon  it ;  but  imder  that  broiling  sun,  that  seemed  to  dry 
up  the  very  blood  in  our  veins,  our  thirst  became  ahnost 
insupportable,  and  the  pint  of  water  could  be  gulped 
down  without  affording  the  slightest  relief.  I  am  cer- 
tain that  half  a  gallon  would  scarce  have  sufficed  to 
quench  my  thirst.  What  rendered  the  pint  of  water 
still  more  insufficient  was  that  it  was  no  longer  cool 


336  RAN   AWAY   TO    SKA. 

water.  The  sun,  basking  down  upon  the  cask  that  lay 
only  half  covered,  had  heated  the  staves  —  and,  con- 
sequently, the  water  within  —  to  such  a  degree,  that  the 
latter  tasted  as  if  half-way  towards  boiling.  It  may 
have  checked  the  progress  of  thirst,  but  it  did  not  al- 
leviate the  pain. 

The  water  might  have  been  kept  cooler  by  throwing 
the  idle  sail  over  the  cask ;  but  even  this  trifling  pre- 
caution was  not  adopted. 

The  men  were  gradually  giving  way  to  despair, — 
the  torpor  of  despondency  was  fast  laying  hold  upon 
them,  and  under  this  influence  no  one  seemed  to  possess 
energy  enough  for  any  precaution,  however  easy  it 
might  have  been. 

As  to  the  serving  out  of  the  food,  that  occupied  only 
one  act.  To  be  put  upon  daily  allowance  out  of  such 
a  store  was  altogether  out  of  the  question.  A  simple 
partition  was  all  that  was  required,  and  the  bag  of  bis- 
cuit was  emptied  out  and  its  contents  equally  divided 
around.  There  proved  to  be  two  biscuits  apiece,  with 
a  small  surplus,  and  for  this  last  the  crew  held  a  "  raf- 
fle,"—  each  time  a  single  bigcuit  forming  the  prize. 
For  these  prizes  the  men  contended  with  as  much 
eagerness  as  if  there  had  been  large  sums  of  money 
staked  on  the  result ;  and,  indeed,  it  would  have  been 
a  large  sum  that  would  have  purchased  one  of  those 
precious  morsels  of  bread. 

The  "  rafiling,"  combined  with  the  "  rum,"  —  which 
was  now  also  meted  out,  —  produced  for  some  time  a 
noisy  excitement.  But  this  was  soon  over ;  and  the 
sullen  silence  of  despondency  again  ruled. 

Somcj  already  ravenous  with  hunger  and  reckless  of 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  337 

consequences,  ate  their  two  biscuits  at  once,  —  while 
otiiers,  endowed  with  greater  prudence  or  stronger  pow- 
ers of  endurance,  only  gnawed  a  small  portion,  and  kept 
the  rest  towards  a  future  and  more  pressing  necessity. 

Thus  passed  the  time  till  near  sunset,  with  no  event 
to  cheer  us,  —  no  new  prospect  to  beget  a  hope. 

When  near  sunset,  however,  a  grand  excitement  was 
produced,  and  all  the  sweet  joys  of  hope  were  again  felt. 

One  of  the  men  who  had  arisen  to  his  feet,  and  was 
gazing  over  the  sea,  suddenly  cried  out :  — 

"  A  sail !  —  a  sail ! " 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  wild  joy  that 
these  words  produced,  —  men  leaped  to  their  feet,  vocif- 
erating glad  huzzas  as  they  repeated  the  words  "A  sail ! 
a  sail ! "  Some  pulled  off  their  hats  and  waved  them 
in  the  air,  —  some  leaped  and  danced  about,  as  though 
frantic,  and  even  the  most  despairing  behaved  as  if 
suddenly  called  to  a  new  life. 

I  have  said  it  would  be  impossible  to  picture  that 
scene  ;  but  still  more  impossible  to  describe  the  contrast 
which,  but  the  moment  after,  might  have  been  witnessed 
upon  the  raft,  Avhen  it  was  ascertained  that  the  cry  was 
a  false  alarm.  No  sail  was  in  sight,  —  there  had  been 
none,  —  nothing  could  be  seen  of  ship  or  sail  over  .the 
wide  circle  of  the  ocean,  —  nothing  moved  upon  the 
glass-like  face  of  that  vast  mirror. 

A  false  alarm,  entirely  without  foundation.  "VYliy 
the  man  had  uttered  it  was  soon  explained.  The  wild 
t^'xpressions  that  were  pouring  from  his  lips,  witli  the 
grotesque  gestures  he  was  making  with  his  arms,  proved 
diat  he  was  mad! 

29 


338  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 


Yes,  the  man  was  mad.  The  awful  occurrences  of 
the  preceding  night  had  deprived  him  of  his  reason, 
and  he  was  now  a  raving  maniac. 

Some  cried  out  to  throw  him  into  the  sea.  No  one 
opposed  this  counsel.  It  would  have  been  carried  into 
execution,  —  for  several  were  prepared  to  lay  hold  of 
him,  —  when  the  maniac,  apparently  well  aware  of 
their  intention,  scrambled  back  into  his  former  position ; 
and,  cowering  down,  remained  silent  and  scared-hke. 
It  was  not  probable  he  would  harm  any  one,  —  he  was 
left  alone. 

The  excitement  of  this  incident  soon  passed  away, 
and  the  gloomy  looks  returned,  —  if  possible,  gloomier 
than  before,  for  it  is  ever  so  after  hopes  have  been 
raised  that  terminate  in  disappointment. 

So  passed  the  evening  and  a  portion  of  the  night. 

At  the  same  hour  as  upon  the  preceding  night,  — 
almost  the  same  minute,  —  the  breeze  again  sprung  up. 
It  could  be  of  little  service,  —  since  there  was  no 
chance  of  our  being  carried  by  it  to  land,  —  but  it  was 
cool  and  refreshing  after  the  intense  torrid  heat  we  had 
been  all  day  enduring. 

Some  were  for  spreading  the  sail ;  others  saw  no  use 
in  it.     "What  good  can  it  do?"  inquii-ed  these.     "It 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  339 

may  carry  us  a  score  of  miles  hence,  or  perhaps  twice 
that.  What  then  ?  It  won't  bring  us  in  sight  of  hind, 
—  nor  a  ship  neither.  We  're  as  hkely  to  see  one  by 
lying  still.  What 's  the  use  of  moving  about  ?  If  we 
have  n't  the  wherewith  to  eat  and  must  make  a  die  of 
it,  we  may  as  well  die  here  as  a  score  of  knots  farther 
to  leeward.  Set  your  sail  if  you  will,  —  we  won't 
either  hinder  or  help." 

Such  language  was  used  by  the  despairing  part  of 
the  crew. 

There  were  those  who  thought  that  by  sailing  we 
should  be  more  likely  to  fall  in  with  a  vessel.  They 
thought  they  could  not  be  worse,  and  might  drift  to  a 
better  place,  where  ships  were  more  frequent,  —  though 
they  acknowledged  that  there  were  equal  chances  of 
their  going  away  out  of  the  track. 

The  truth  is,  that  not  one  knew  within  hundreds  of 
miles  where  we  were,  and  to  sail  in  any  course  would 
have  been  mere  guesswork. 

By  men  in  misery,  however,  motion  is  always  pre- 
ferred to  rest ;  and  the  knowledge  that  you  are  going, 
and  going  forward,  produces  a  soothing  influence  on 
the  spirits.  It  begets  a  hope  that  you  will  come  in 
sight  of  something  that  may  aid  you  ;  and  these  hopes, 
however  ill-founded,  enable  you  to  pass  the  time  more 
lightly.  On  the  contrary,  by  remaining  in  one  fixed 
place,  for  a  like  period  of  time,  you  fi'ct  and  chafe 
much  more  under  the  uncertainty. 

With  this  feeling  upon  them,  most  of  the  men  were 
in  favor  of  bending  the  sail,  and  it  was  accordingly  bent. 

Tlie  night  before,  it  had  been  held  aloft  by  several  of 


340  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

the  men,  —  as  the  only  object  then  had  been  to  get  the 
raft  beyond  reach  of  the  swimmers.  When  that  end 
Avas  accomplished,  the  sail  had  been  allowed  to  drop, 
and  the  raft  had  drifted  a  good  distance  without  it. 

To-night,  however,  a  mast  was  raised,  —  or  rather, 
a  pair  of  them,  —  consisting  of  oars  and  handspikes 
spliced  together,  —  and  between  the  two  the  canvas  was 
extended,  without  yard,  gaff,  or  boom.  There  was  no 
design  to  manoeuvre  the  sail.  It  was  just  spread  like 
a  blanket,  transversely  to  the  raft,  and  left  for  the 
breeze  to  blow  upon  it  as  it  listed.  When  this  was 
done  the  raft  was  left  to  its  own  guidance,  and,  of 
course,  drifted  to  leewai'd  as  fast  as  it  could  make  way, 
—  apparently  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  knots  an  hour. 

The  men  once  more  resumed  their  recumbent  po- 
sitions, and  all  remained  silent.  ■  Some  fell  asleep,  and 
snored  as  though  they  were  happy !  Others  slept,  but 
their  dream-talking  told  of  troubled  visions,  —  recalling, 
maybe,  dark  scenes  of  guilt.  A  few  seemed  to  lie 
awake  all  the  livelong  night,  —  at  intervals  tossing 
about,  as  though  kept  on  the  alert  by  thirst,  hunger, 
or  the  apprehension  of  approaching  death. 

Brace  and  I  sat  close  together.  We  still  occupied 
the  slight  raft  he  had  made,  —  as  there  was  but  little 
room  upon  the  other,  —  and  this  one,  now  forming  part  of 
the  whole  structure,  was  as  good  a  position  as  we  could 
have  chosen,  —  in  fact  the  best,  as  the  sequel  proved. 

There  was  a  sail  upon  it,  —  the  jib  or  flying-jib,  I 
know  not  which,  —  and  a  piece  of  old  tarpauling ;  and 
these,  spread  over  the  planks,  kept  them  together,  and 
gave  us  a  softer  bed  to  recline  upon. 


KAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  3-41 

We  conversed  together  at  times,  though  not  often. 
Now  and  then  the  brave  sailor  had  endeavored  to 
cheer  me  by  holding  out  hopes,  —  but  so  hopeless 
had  our  situation  now  become  that  he  at  length  de- 
sisted. He  felt  that  it  would  be  only  mockery  to  hold 
out  the  slightest  prospect  of  our  deliverance.  He,  too, 
—  the  bravest  of  all  that  band,  —  was  fast  surrendering 
himself  to  despair. 

The  breeze  died  away  before  daybreak,  just  as  on 
the  previous  night,  —  and  another  morning  came,  but 
showed  no  sail  on  all  that  boundless  sea. 

Another  hot  sun  rose  and  circled  overhead  through 
the  same  cloudless  heaven,  and  set  red  and  fiery  as 
ever. 

There  passed  another  night,  and  once  more  the  wind 
carried  us  through  the  water;  and  then  several  other 
days  and  nights  —  I  ceased  to  count  them  —  came 
and  went,  with  almost  the  same  monotonous  routine, 
varied  only  by  bickerings  among  the  men,  —  sometimes 
most  fiendish  quarrels,  in  which  knives  were  drawn  and 
used  almost  with  fatal  effect. 

Strange  time  for  disagreement  and  deadly  conflict ! 

Even  wild  animals,  —  the  fiercest  beasts  of  prey,  — 
when  under  the  influence  of  a  common  danger,  will 
yield  up  the  ferocity  of  their  nature.  Not  so  these 
wicked  men,  —  their  vile  passions  in  this  dread  hour 
seemed  only  to  become  stronger  and  more  malignant ! 

Their  quarrels  were  about  the  merest  trifles,  —  the 
sei'ving  out  of  the  water,  the  rum,  tlie  sujjpositinu  of 
some  one  tliat  he  was  not  getting  fair  ])lay  in  liis  al- 
lowance, —  but  so  frequent  had  they  become,  that  they 
29* 


342  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

themselves  grew  to  be  a  monotony.  Every  hour  a 
fierce  brawl  disturbed  the  deep  repose  and  otherwise 
breathless  silence  that  characterized  the  intervals  be- 
tween. 

If  these  incidents  had  grown  monotonous  and  no 
longer  failed  to  interest  me,  there  was  one  upon  die 
eve  of  occurring  that  was  well  calculated  to  produce 
within  me  an  interest  of  the  most  powerful  kind, — 
calculated  to  stir  my  soul  to  its  very  utmost  emotion.       | 

I  have  said  that  this  incident  was  on  the  eve  of 
occurring,  —  it  was  a  hideous  pui-pose  already  matured, 
though  kept  secret  from  my  companion  and  myself. 
Neither  Brace  nor  I  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of  it 
until  the  hour  in  which  it  was  openly  declared. 


RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA.  343 


CHAPTER    LXV. 


It  was  probably  on  the  sixth  day  after  parting  from 
the  wreck  —  though  I  am  not  certain  about  the  day  — 
that  the  horrid  design  reached  its  development.  It  had 
been  hatching  for  a  while  before,  and  upon  that  day 
came  to  a  crisis. 

It  was  now  several  days  since  food  had  been  tasted 
by  any  one,  —  the  two  biscuits  each  had  been  long 
since  eaten,  —  most  of  them  at  the  moment  of  being 
given  out.  Of  com*se  every  one  upon  the  raft  was 
suffering  the  pangs  of  hunger,  and  had  been  enduring 
them  until  the  appetite  had  reached  the  extremity  of 
painfulness. 

Some  looked  emaciated,  with  eyes  deeply  sunken, 
and  cheeks  bony  and  hollow.  Others,  strange  to  say, 
had  a  fat,  bloated  appearance  ;  but  tliis  must  have  arisen 
from  swelling,  or  some  unnatural  cause,  —  it  could  not 
be  that  famine  had  given  them  flesh.  All  —  one  and 
all  —  had  that  peculiar  expression  about  the  eyes,  and 
around  the  mouth,  that  may  be  noticed  in  the  visage  of 
a  hungry  dog,  or  still  more  perceptibly  in  a  half-starved 
wolf 

About  this  period  there  seemed  to  be  some  secret 
intelligence  among  them,  —  not  idl  of  them,  —  but 
among  those  who  acted  as  leaders,  —  fur  even  in  tlicir 


344  KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

reduced  condition,  there  were  those  of  stronger  body 
and  more  energetic  spirit,  who  maintained  a  sort  of 
leadership  over  the  rest.  What  this  intelhgence  was  I 
could  not  tell,  nor,  indeed,  should  I  have  taken  notice 
of  the  indications  of  its  existence,  had  it  not  been  for 
what  occurred  afterwards.  I  observed  them  now  and 
then  whispering  to  one  another;  and  as  they  did  so 
casting  side-glances  towards  Brace  and  myself.  At 
other  times  I  caught  now  one,  and  now  another,  gazing 
upon  me,  and  with  a  wild,  wolfish  look,  that  rendered 
me,  though  I  could  not  tell  Avliy,  singularly  uneasy.  I 
noticed  that  they  appeared  as  if  they  did  not  like  to  be 
detected  while  thus  looking  at  me ;  and  ever  as  I 
returned  their  glances  they  suddenly  lowered  their  eyes 
or  averted  their  faces.  They  then  appeared  as  men 
who  have  been  detected  in  some  mean  or  guilty  action. 

As  it  appeared  to  me  that  they  looked  in  a  similar 
manner  at  my  companion,  and  at  one  another  as  Avell, 
I  fancied  that  the  strange  expression  that  had  struck  me 
must  be  one  characteristic  of  extreme  hunger,  and  I 
thought  no  more  about  it. 

On  the  following  day,  however,  I  observed  that  the 
whispering  among  them  increased;  and  was  accom- 
panied Avith  a  greater  variety  of  gesticulation  and  ex- 
citement. 

Brace  also  noticed  it,  and  guessed  better  than  I  what 
all  this  freemasonry  meant,  —  at  least  he  was  nearer 
the  truth,  for  he  was  still  ignorant  of  the  full  purpose 
of  those  rufhan  conspirators. 

He  whispered  to  me  what  he  supposed  they  were 
aftei',  —  with  the  design  of  breaking  the  terrible  truth  to 


RAN    AAVAY    TO    SKA.  345 

me  as  gently  as  possible.  But  I  had  now  better  than  half 
divined  it,  and  his  communication  did  not  startle  me. 

"  Some  one  got  to  die,  lad.  I  s'pose  they  're  taUiin' 
o'  castin'  lots  who  it  '11  be,  —  well,  we  must  take  our 
chance  along  with  the  rest." 

Just  as  Brace  had  finished  his  speech  one  of  the  men 
rose  up  upon  the  I'aft ;  and,  calling  the  attention  of  the 
others,  begged  to  make  a  proposal  to  them. 

The  speech  by  which  he  introduced  his  proposal  was 
brief,  indeed,  and  to  the  point.  In  fact,  he  came  to  the 
proposition  almost  at  once,  which  was  simply,  —  that  one 
of  the  party  must  die  to  save  the  rest,  —  that  they  had 
still  Avater,  but  no  food,  and  all  must  perish  unless  they 
could  eat,  —  that  they  could  not  eat  unless  — 

But  I  cannot  repeat  the  dread  arguments  which  he 
made  use  of,  brief  though  they  were,  —  for  his  speech 
was  short,  and,  having  delivered  it,  he  sat  down  again. 

There  was  a  short  pause,  and  then  anotlier  arose  and 
addressed  the  crowd.  This  man  coincided  in  the  views 
of  him  who  had  spoken,  and  added  to  the  proposal  a 
suggestion  for  carrying  it  out,  —  that  was,  that  the  one 
who  was  to  die  should  be  chosen  by  lot.  This,  of 
course,  both  Brace  and  myself  expected.  It  was  not 
likely  that  any  one  was  going  to  volunteer. 

"VVliat  was  my  terror,  and  the  anger  and  alarm  of  my 
companion,  when  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  brutal 
of  the  whole  ci'ew  —  the  ruffian  Le  Gros  —  rose  up, 
and  in  a  loud  and  serious  tone,  not  only  objected  to 
drawing  lots,  but  proposed  me  for  the  victim  ! 

Brace  sprang  instantly  to  his  feet,  and  uttered  a  cry 
of  indignation.  It  was  expected  that  this  cry  would 
have  been  echoed  by  the  others ;  and  with  almost  any 


346  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

other  band  of  men  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  or  the 
face  of  the  ocean,  such  would  have  been  the  reception 
of  the  foul  proposal. 

But  both  my  companion  and  I  soon  perceived,  with 
dismay,  that  there  came  no  such  echo  from  that  ruffian 
crew.  On  the  contrary,  several  backed  the  proposal 
itself,  and  in  such  majority,  —  I  might  almost  say 
unanimity,  —  that  it  was  plain  that  most  of  the  men  who 
spoke  had  already  predetermined  the  case.  It  was 
evident,  from  their  prompt  acquiescence,  that  they  had 
been  prepared  for  it ;  and  this  accounted  for  that 
mysterious  whispering  that  had  been  carried  on  during 
the  preceding  day.  Some  few,  evidently,  had  not  been 
in  the  secret ;  but  these  were  weak  individuals,  whose 
opposition  would  not  have  been  regarded,  and  who, 
indeed,  appeared  ready  enough  to  chime  in  with  the 
majority. 

The  French  bully  went  on  to  justify  his  proposition 
by  argument.  "We  were  not  all  equal,  he  said,  —  there 
were  able  seamen,  —  and  common  sailors,  —  and  I  was 
but  a  boy.  Why  should  I  have  a  chance  like  the  rest  ? 
It  was  preposterous. 

Brace  opposed  his  arguments,  —  appealed  to  the 
crew,  —  to  their  sense  of  justice  and  fair  play.  Let 
lots  be  cast,  said  he,  and  let  him  take  his  chance  with 
the  rest,  —  that  was  the  only  fair  and  honest  mode,  — - 
the  only  way  worthy  of  men. 

Bah !  these  were  not  men.  One  and  all  were  but 
too  glad  to  grasp  at  any  means  that  would  deliver  them 
from  that  perilous  raffle.  The  sophistic  arguments  of 
Le  Gros  satisfied  them.  The  infamous  motion  pre- 
vailed.    It  was  decreed  that  I  should  die ! 


RAX    AWAY   TO    SEA.  347 


CHAPTER    LXVI. 

Yes,  —  it  was  decreed  that  I  should  die. 

The  time  and  the  mode  alone  remained  to  be  deter- 
mined ;  but  these  points  were  soon  settled.  For  the  for- 
mer it  was  to  be  then,  —  instantly,  —  and  as  to  the  mode, 
I  was  to  be  bled  to  death ! 

These  resolves  were  made  with  a  despatch  that 
allowed  no  time  for  reflection,  —  scarcely  time  for 
speech  or  protestation.  The  ferocious  wolves  were 
eager  for  their  prey. 

It  was  their  determination  to  act  promptly  to  the 
time  ;  for,  without  further  hesitation,  half  a  dozen  of  the 
most  forward  in  the  business  advanced  toAvards  me,  — 
evidently  with  the  intent  to  put  their  design  into  exe- 
cution ! 

And,  beyond  a  doubt,  they  would  have  done  it  — 
had  I  been  alone  and  unprotected  —  beyond  a  doubt 
they  would  have  killed  and  eaten  me !  But  I  was  not 
alone,  —  I  was  not  without  a  protector.  As  the  fierce 
cannibals  advanced,  Brace  sprang  between  them  and 
me,  and,  drawing  his  clasp-knife,  threatened  to  cut  down 
the  first  who  should  lay  a  finger  upon  me. 

"Oif!"  cried  he,  ''off,  you  cowardly  swabs!      Lay 

hand  upon  the  lad,  and  I  '11  make  mince-meat  o'  ye. 

-  He  may  be  the  first  to  be  eaten,  but  he  fu'n't  the  first 


348  KAN   AWAY    TO    SKA. 

that  '11  die  for  it,  —  there  's  more  than  one  o'  ye  '11  have 
to  kick  the  bucket  afore  he  does.  Blowed  if  thar  arn't ! 
So  now,  ye  cowardly  hounds !  come  on  if  you  dar." 

The  dastards,  cowed  by  the  intrepid  bearing  of  Brace, 
halted  in  their  advance  and  hung  back,  —  though  no  one 
of  them  ventured  a  reply.  They  seemed  to  have  been 
taken  by  surprise ;  for,  although  they  knew  that  Brace 
opposed  the  design,  they  had  no  idea  he  would  attempt 
to  struggle  against  the  whole  crew.  Surprise,  therefore, 
held  them  back,  mingled  with  some  little  fear,  —  for  the 
determined  attitude  which  Brace  had  taken,  and  the 
shining  blade  of  his  knife,  promised  death  to  some  of 
them ;  and,  as  each  feared  it  might  be  himself,  no  one 
desired  to  be  the  foremost. 

I  liad  thrown  myself  alongside  my  brave  protector, 
resolving  to  do  battle  and  die  by  his  side,  —  though  not 
much  could  my  puny  arm  have  effected  against  the 
host  of  strong,  ferocious  men  who  assailed  us.  Still  it 
would  be  better  to  die  thus  than  be  butchered  in 
'cold  blood ;  and  under  this  belief  I  nerved  myself  for 
the  encounter. 

At  this  crisis  a  change  appeared  to  take  place  in  the 
attitude  of  my  companion ;  some  new  thought  had 
struck  him ;  and,  waving  his  hand  in  a  peculiar  manner, 
—  which  signified  to  our  antagonists  that  he  had  some 
proposal  to  make,  —  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  silence. 
He  then  addressed  them  as  follows :  "  Comrades ! 
arn't  it  too  bad  there  should  be  quarrelling  atween  us 
at  such  a  time  as  this,  when  we  're  all  in  trouble  alike  ?  " 

Brace's  late  tone  of  defiance  had  changed  to  one  of 
half  entreaty,  and  it  was  evident  he  was  about  to  pro^ 


RAN    AWAY    TO     SEA.  349 

pose  some  compromise.  Indeed,  it  would  have  been 
madness  in  liim  to  have  carried  the  conflict  farther,  as  it 
could  only  have  resulted  in  the  death  of  us  both. 

"  Comrades  !  "  he  continued,  "  it 's  a  dreadful  thing  to 
die,  but  I  know  that  some  one  must  be  made  a  sacriiicc 
for  the  rest,  and  that  are  better  than  we  should  all  go. 
Ye  must  know  that  when  this  thing  happens  it  be  the 
usual  way  to  draw  lots  about  it." 

"  We  shan't  have  it  that  way  !  "  cried  one,  adding  to 
his  response  the  emphasis  of  an  oath. 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  Brace,  without  losing  his 
pacific  demeanor,  "  since  you  're  agreed  that  it  shan't  be 
that  way,  and  that  the  boy  must  be  the  first,  and  since 
you  're  all  agreed  to  it,  it 's  no  use  o'  me  standin'  in  the 
way.     I  agree  to  it  loi'  the  rest." 

I  was  startled  at  the  words,  and  involuntarily  turned 
my  eyes  upon  the  f;^ce  of  the  sjicaker.  Was  he  seri- 
ous ?  was  he  really  about  to  give  me  up  ?  to  surrender 
me  into  the  hands  of  those  ruthless  men  ? 

He  took  no  notice  of  me  ;  and  his  unflinching  atti- 
tude, and  glance  still  bent  in  the  same  direction,  told  me 
that  he  had  not  yet  done  speaking. 

"  But,"  said  ho,  after  a  pause,  "  with  these  condi- 
tions." 

"  What  conditions  ?  "  asked  several,  interrupting  him. 

"  Why  only  this,"  replied  Brace,  "  that  the  boy  be 
let  live  till  the  morning.  I  only  ask  for  him  till  the  sun 
rises  ;  and  then,  if  there  Ix'  no  sail  in  sight,  ye  can  do 
as  ye  please.  It 's  only  fair  the  lad  should  have  a 
chance  for  his  life;  and  if  you  don't  agree  to  give  liim 
this  chance,"  continued  the  speaker,  once  more  placing 
30 


350  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

himself  in  a  determined  attitude,  "  if  you  don't,  then 
all  I  've  got  to  say  is,  that  I  '11  fight  for  the  lad  as  long 
as  I  can  stand  over  him,  and  if  he  be  first  ate  he  wont 
be  first  killed,  —  that  I  can  promise  ye.     Now  ?  " 

Brace's  speech  produced  the  desired  effect.  His  au- 
ditory, though  reluctantly,  agreed  to  the  proposal. 
Even  those  heartless  fiends  could  not  help  acknowledg- 
ing that  it  was  no  more  than  fair ;  but  perhaps  the 
determined  and  resolute  bearing  of  my  protector  —  as 
he  stood,  drawn  up  and  ready,  with  that  keen  blade 
shining  in  his  strong,  firm  grasp  —  had  more  influence 
upon  their  decision  than  any  feeling  of  fair  play. 

Wliether  or  not,  the  reprieve  was  granted ;  and  those 
who  had  been  menacing  my  life  drew  back,  —  though 
still  muttering  their  discontent,  —  and  shrunk  once 
more  into  their  places. 


KA^    AAVAY    TO    SEA.  351 


CHAPTER    LXVII. 

I  CAN  ill  describe  the  emotions  that  agitated  my  bo- 
som. Though  delivered  from  the  terror  of  immediate 
death,  there  was  nothing  in  the  respite  to  give  me  any 
feeling  of  joy.  It  would  only  be  a  short  procrastination 
of  my  doom,  for  certainly  in  the  morning  I  must  die. 

The  slender  chances  of  our  seeing  a  sail  were  scarce 
worth  contemplating ;  and  I  derived  no  consolation  by 
dwelling  upon  such  a  contingency. 

My  fate,  therefore,  I  looked  upon  as  sealed.  ISlj 
protector  could  not  save  me.  He  had  done  the  utmost 
in  his  power,  in  procuring  the  reprieve  that  was  to  give 
me  this  slight  chance  for  my  life.  If  it  failed,  he  would 
undoubtedly  have  to  keep  his  word  and  surrender  me  up. 

I  felt  as  the  condemned  criminal  whose  hour  of  exe- 
cution has  been  fixed,  and  who  knows  it,  —  with,  per- 
haps, only  the  difference  that  I  could  look  forward  to 
the  event  with  a  clear  conscience.  I  felt  not  as  a  crim- 
inal, but  a  victim,  —  a  martyr  among  ruffians. 

Of  course  I  thought  not  of  sleep,  —  all  sleep  wa3 
banished  from  my  eyelids.  With  such  a  prospect  before 
me,  how  could  I  sleep  ?  Sadly  at  that  crisis  did  I  think 
of  home,  of  parents  and  kindred.  Bitterly  did  I  repent 
that  I  ever  ran  away  to  sea  ! 

Alas !  like  many  others  who  have  acted  disobediently 


3.32  KAX    AWAY    TO    SLA. 

and  rashly,  my  experience  had  been  too  dearly  pur- 
chased, —  my  repentance  came  too  late. 

To-morrow  by  sunrise  must  I  die  ;  and  0  such  a 
dreadful  doom  !  My  fate  would  never  be  known  ;  for 
though  I  was  made  a  sacrifice,  it  was  not  likely  that  my 
executioners  would  long  survive  me.  The  chances  that 
any  of  them  would  ever  reach  land  were  shght  indeed  ; 
and,  even  if  they  should,  it  was  not  likely  they  would 
ever  divulge  that  secret.  I  should  never  more  be  heard 
of;  neither  friends  nor  kindred  would  ever  know  my 
sad  fate,  and  it  would  be  better  that  they  should  not. 
O  it  was  a  dreadful  doom  ! 

Suffering  under  such  reflections,  I  lay  stretched  along 
the  plank  ;  my  protector  was  still  by  my  side,  —  so 
near  that  our  shoulders  touched,  and  our  heads  were 
close  together,  —  I  could  have  heard  anything  he  might 
have  said,  though  uttered  only  in  a  whisper  ;  but  for  a 
long  time  he  did  not  address  a  word  to  me.  He  ap- 
peared to  be  busied  with  his  own  thoughts,  —  as  if 
buried  in  some  deep  cogitation,  —  and  did  not  desire  to 
be  spoken  to.     Noticing  this,  I  too  remained  silent. 

The  night  came  down  and  promised  to  be  dark ;  most 
of  the  preceding  nights  had  been  very  clear,  as  there 
had  been  moonlight  and  scarce  a  cloud  in  the  sky  for 
weeks  before.  On  this  day,  however,  and  particularly 
towards  the  close  of  it,  black  clouds  had  shown  them- 
selves above  the  horizon,  and,  although  the  sea  was 
still  under  a  calm,  it  appeared  as  if  some  change  was  at 
hand. 

After  the  sun  had  set,  these  clouds  rose  higher  and 
higher,  —  until  a  black  pall  of  them  covered  the  whole 


KAN   AWAY    TO    SEA.  353 

firmament,  completely  shrouding  the  moon,  and  not 
only  hiding  her  from  our  eyes,  but  hindering  her  beams 
from  casting  their  light  over  the  sea. 

The  surface  of  the  water,  instead  of  glittering  ai-ound 
us,  as  it  had  done  upon  preceding  nights,  was  now  of  a 
gray,  gloomy  complexion,  —  for  it  reflected  the  color  of 
the  clouds  that  hung  over  it.  Both  were  fit  emblem  of 
my  own  sad  spirit. 

Almost  mechanically  I  remarked  to  my  companion 
this  change  in  the  heavens,  and  spoke  about  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night. 

"  So  much  the  better,  lad,"  was  his  laconic  reply,  and 
he  again  relapsed  into  silence,  as  if  he  did  not  desire  to 
be  led  into  conversation. 

I  lay  for  a  while  pondering  upon  his  rejily.  How 
was  it  better  ?  —  what  signified  the  darkness  ?  —  what 
advantage  could  be  gained  by  that  ?  A  dark  night 
could  not  bring  ships  upon  the  sea ;  nor  could  it  save 
me  fi'om  the  doom  that  had  been  decreed.  The  sun 
would  rise  all  the  same  ;  and  at  his  rising  I  must  die  ! 
Tlie  darkness  could  not  avail  me  !  What  could  he 
mean  ? 

I  pondered  a  long  while  upon  his  answer,  but  could 
not  make  out  its  signification.  Had  he  intended  it  as  a 
phrase  of  encouragemet,  —  something  to  hold  out  a 
hope  to  me, — something  to  cheer  me?  for  indefinitely 
it  had  tliis  effect,  —  or  was  the  answer  given  mechani- 
cally and  without  thought  ? 

The  former  I  dared  not  hope.     Since  the  moment  in 
which  my  respite  had  been  granted,  he  had  not  spoken 
nor  offered  a  word  of  hope,  for  certain  was  I  that  he 
30* 


354  KAN  AWAY    TO   SEA. 

had  none  to  offer.     What  then  meant  he  by  the  words 
he  had  just  uttered,  —  "  So  much  the  better,  lad  "  ? 

I  would  at  length  have  asked  him ;  but,  just  as  I  had 
made  up  my  mmd  to  do  so,  I  perceived  that  he  was 
twisting  liimself  about,  and  before  I  could  speak  to  him, 
he  had  turned  his  head  away,  —  so  that  he  could  no 
longer  have  heard  me  in  a  whisper.  Not  desirous  that 
others  should  overhear  the  question  I  was  about  to  put 
to  him,  I  remained  silent  and  waited  for  a  better  oppor- 
tunity. 


HAX    AV.'AT    TO    SEA.  355 


CHAPTER    L  XVI 1 1. 

It  had  now  grown  extremely  dark,  —  so  much  so 
that  I  could  scarce  distinguish  the  form  of  my  compan- 
ion, though  he  Avas  close  by  me,  —  and  the  great  raft 
itself,  with  the  bodies  reclining  upon  it,  was  only  dis- 
tinguishable as  a  shapeless  black  mass.  I  could  per- 
ceive the  spread  sail  better  than  an)i;hing  else,  as  this 
was  of  a  whitish  color,  and  stood  up  outlined  against 
the  gloomy  gray  of  the  sky. 

But,  dark  as  it  was,  I  noticed  that  Brace  on  turning 
away  from  me  had  his  knife  clasped  in  his  hand,  with 
the  blade  still  open  and  ready  for  use !  What  could 
he  intend  with  this  ? 

All  at  once  it  occurred  to  me  that  he  suspected  some- 
thing, —  that  he  was  apprehensive  that  the  ruffians 
might  not  desire  to  wait  for  the  morning,  as  agreed,  — 
but  might  attempt  to  carry  out  their  purpose  in  the 
night ;  and  under  this  suspicion  he  had  placed  liimself 
between  them  and  me,  —  determined  to  keep  guard 
over  me.  The  position  he  had  taken  gave  color  to  this 
supposition,  and  the  attitude  he  was  in  almost  con- 
firmed it. 

As  I  have  before  stated,  Brace  and  I  still  occupied 
the  floating  planks  which  we  had  bound  together,  and 
these  were  attached  to  the  raft  at  what  mifrht  be  called 


356  RAN   AWAY    TO    SEA. 

its  stern,  —  that  is,  when  the  raft  moved  tlirough  the 
water  by  means  of  the  sail,  our  position  was  behind, 
and  in  the  wake.  Now,  as  my  companion  had  turned 
himself,  he  lay  with  his  head  towards  the  raft,  and,  as 
I  thought,  in  a  half-crouching  attitude,  —  though  the 
pitchy  darkness  prevented  me  from  being  sure  of  this. 
At  all  events  he  was  so  placed,  that  any  one  attempting 
to  approach  me  must  first  pass  over  his  body ;  and 
therefore  did  I  believe  —  seeing  the  knife  in  his  grasp 

—  that  his  object  was  to  guard  me. 

I  have  said  that  it  had  now  grown  extremely  dark  ; 
but  in  addition  to  this  I  perceived  that  the  breeze  had 
arisen,  —  just  about  the  same  hour  as  on  other  nights. 
This  night,  however,  it  was  much  fresher  than  before, 

—  so  fresh  that  the  raft  swept  briskly  along,  —  making 
a  rushing  noise  in  the  water,  and  leaving  a  foamy  track 
behind  her. 

Lulled  into  a  kind  of  stupor,  I  lay  for  some  time  lis- 
tening to  this  noise  ;  and  was  only  aroused  from  my 
reverie  by  observing  that  the  sound  of  the  water  became 
all  at  once  less  loud  and  distinct,  —  as  though  the  raft 
was  moving  more  gently  through  the  sea,  —  then  I 
ceased  Ajfcthear  it  altogether ! 

Sure^1*hought  I,  the  sail  has  come  down,  and  the 
raft  is  no  longer  in  motion  ? 

I  lay  for  a  while  listening  attentively ;  to  my  surprise 
I  could  still  distinguish  the  sound  of  rushing  water ; 
but  it  now  appeared  as  if  at  some  distance,  and  every 
moment  getting  farther  away  ! 

I  was  about  to  spring  up  and  seek  an  explanation  of 
this  strange  phenomenon,  Avhen  a  wild  cry  came  peal- 


RAX    AWAY    TO    SEA.  357 

ing  across  the  water,  followed  by  a  confusion  of  loud 
voices. 

"  We  are  saved  !  "  thought  I,  "  some  ship  is  near  !  " 
and  I  actually  shouted  these  words,  as  I  sprang  up 
from  my  recumbent  attitude. 

"  Yes,"  replied  a  voice,  which  I  knew  to  be  that  of 
Brace,  "  we  're  saved  fi'om  them  anyliow,  —  yonder  they 
go,  the  cowardly  swabs !  they  don't  catch  us  while  this 
breeze  lasts,  —  that  they  don't." 

To  my  astonishment  I  now  perceived  that  Brace  and 
I  were  alone  ;  and,  far  in  the  shadowy  darkness,  I  could 
just  make  out  the  white  sail  of  the  raft  stiU  scudding 
away  before  the  breeze  ! 

There  was  no  mystery  about  it.  Brace  had  cut  the 
ropes  that  had  bound  our  planks  to  the  raft,  and  had 
silently  permitted  them  to  drop  astern.  That  was  what 
he  had  been  doing  with  liis  knife ! 

Of  course  the  wind,  acting  upon  the  sail,  had  soon 
carried  the  great  raft  far  out  of  reach,  and  it  was  now 
several  hundi'ed  yards  to  leeward  of  us.  The  darkness 
had  prevented  any  of  the  crew  from  noting  wliat  was 
passing ;  but  they  had  at  length  discovered  our  escape, 
as  their  wild  shouts  and  angry  vociferations  testified. 
"We  could  hear  them  calling  us  by  name,  at  the  same 
time  uttering  threats  and  cries  of  disappointed  rage. 

"  Don't  fear  theni  any  more,"  coolly  remarked  my 
companion,  "  can't  reach  us  with  that  slow  craft, —  we 
can  row  faster  than  they  can  swim.  But  best  make 
sure,  liowever,  —  the  farther  we  *re  from  'em  the  better. 
Lay  hold,  lad!  here's  an  oar  for  you,  —  pull  with  all 
your  might ! " 


358  RAN   AWAY   TO    SEA. 

I  took  the  oar  as  my  companion  directed,  and  com 
menced  rowing.  I  saw  that  Brace  had  another  oar,  — *, 
which  he  had  managed  to  bring  away  from  the  raft,  — 
and  under  the  two  blades  our  little  craft  was  propelled 
rapidly  through  the  water.  Of  course  we  rowed  right 
into  the  wind's  eye,  —  for  by  so  doing  we  took  the  op- 
posite direction  to  that  in  which  the  crew  was  carried. 

For  a  long  time  we  continued  to  hear  their  wild, 
hoarse  cries  behind  us  ;  but  the  voices  grew  fainter  and 
fainter,  as  the  raft  drifted  to  leeward ;  and  at  length 
we  could  hear  them  no  more. 

"We  rowed  on  till  morning  light ;  and  then,  resting 
from  our  toil,  we  stood  up,  and  scanned  the  surface  of 
the  sea. 

There  was  no  sail  in  sight,  —  no  object  of  any  kind. 
The  raft  had  disappeared  behind  the  convex  swell  of 
the  water ;  —  we  were  alone  upon  the  ocean  ! 

Reader !  I  might  describe  other  scenes  of  peril, 
through  which  my  brave  companion  and  I  passed,  be- 
fore that  joyful  hour  when  our  eyes  rested  upon  the 
white  sails  of  a  ship,  —  a  strong,  fine  ship,  that  lifted 
us  from  the  bosom  of  the  ocean,  and  carried  us  once 
more  to  land,  —  ay,  even  to  our  native  land.  I  shall 
not  weary  you  with  the  details.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
we  were  rescued,  —  else  how  could  I  be  living  to  tell 
the  tale  ? 

Yes,  —  I  still  live,  and  so  does  my  companion ;  — 
both  of  us  still  follow  the  sea,  but  no  longer  under  the 
rule  of  an  arbitrary  tyrant,  such  as  the  captain  of  the 
Pandora.     No !  we  are  both  captains  oui'selves,  —  I  of 


RAN  AWAY  TO    SEA.  359 

an  East  Indiaman;  and  Ben  the  master  —  and  part 
owner,  too  —  of  a  fine  barque  in  the  African  trade,  — 
a  barque  quite  equal  to  the  Pandora. 

But  not  that  African  trade,  —  no.  My  old  friend  is 
an  honest  dealer.  His  merchandise  is  not  black  men, 
but  yellow  gold-dust,  white  ivory,  palm-oil,  and  ostrich 
plumes ;  and  after  each  "  trip "  to  the  Aft-ican  coast, 
Ben  —  as  I  have  been  given  to  understand  —  makes 
a  "  trip  "  to  the  Bank  of  England,  and  there  deposits  a 
very  considerable  sum  of  money.  I  rejoice  in  his  pros- 
perity ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  you,  reader,  will  do 
the  same. 

We  are  not  ignorant  of  the  fate  of  the  slaver's  crew. 
Not  one  of  them,  either  those  in  the  gig  or  on  the  raft, 
ever  again  saw  the  shore.  They  perished  upon  the  face 
of  the  wide  ocean,  —  miserably  perished,  without  hand 
to  help  or  eye  to  weep  over  them.  No  eye  beheld 
them  but  that  of  the  Omnipotent,  —  no  hand  but  his 
was  near ;  and  it  was  near,  —  for  it  was  the  hand  of 
Grod  that  avenged  their  victims ! 


THE  EKD. 


3  1205  010166195 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A  001  423  665  7 


